Innovation: History of Biblical Exegesis

This volume explores how scholarly progress in 20th-century New Testament exegesis can be described. It is based on an academic conference held at the University of Münster from May 11 to 13, 2023, marking the 80th anniversary of the papal encyclical Divino afflante Spiritu, published on September 30, 1943. The goal was not to present yet another detailed exegesis and commentary on Pius XII's circular letter. Instead, the anniversary of a text often seen as groundbreaking-opening new perspectives in exegetical research, especially given the sometimes intense conflict between the ecclesiastical magisterium and academic exegesis in the 20th century - served as an opportunity to reflect more deeply on what "the new" means in New Testament exegesis.
Despite their varied topics and analytical approaches, the individual contributions-mainly focused on the German-speaking context and largely situated within New Testament studies, but also including perspectives from ancient Near Eastern studies, moral theology, church history, and especially sociology-are interconnected through numerous thematic and methodological links. These can be categorized into three main themes. The first focus concerns novelty and innovation. Drawing on organizational sociology, the volume argues for a distinction between the two: innovation ise analysis of what counts as "new" or as progress in exegetical research.
Second, the volume considers both individual scholars and scholarly networks. While analyzing individual biographies is a common method in the history of exegesis, research on networks within biblical studies is still in its early stages. Herefers to "successful novelty." This distinction allows for a more precre, the volume innovates by combining sociological network analysis with the study of large-scale and long-term exegetical projects. Equally central is the integration of Protestant and Catholic perspectives. In the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Catholic theologians' efforts to align with the standards of their Protestant counterparts significantly shaped the field. At the same time, Protestant and Catholic scholarship developed within markedly different ecclesial, political, and social contexts - factors that must be duly considered in historical analysis.
A third and final focus addresses the epoch-making impact of the papal biblical encyclical Divino afflante Spiritu (1943). Often interpreted as a decisive breakthrough or rupture, the contributors to this volume show that, although the novelty of the document was recognized by contemporary authors, many lines of development continued to connect scholarly contexts before and after this papal publication. Overall, the volume aims to provide a foundation for a stronger focus on interdisciplinary research within the recent study of history of exegesis.