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Preface to the German Edition [V–VI]
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Preface to the German Edition [V–VI] The studies presented here were written between 2000 and 2006. For their publication together they were all revised and coordinated with one another. Here the focus was especially on emphasizing the overarching perspectives that linked the individual contributions together. These studies aim to set important early Christian conceptions in relation to one another in terms of tradition history and theology and in this way to illuminate the relationship between the diversity and theological unity of the New Testament and contribute to further discussion on this central question of New Testament science. The common point of reference is the question of what the Christian understanding of reality is founded on and how this understanding, which has its foundation in the writings of the New Testament, can claim a place in the discussion of the interpretation of reality. This line of questioning is developed in four areas of focus. In part I, an access to history from the perspective of Christian faith is brought into conversation with the science of history. Building on this, part II is devoted to three central areas of the history of early Christian theology: the Jesus tradition, the theology of Paul, and Luke’s Acts of the Apostles. Through the aspects that are considered , it is shown, by way of example, how, from the initial beginnings of Christianity, which still moved in the framework of a Jewish discussion, the formation of a distinctive Christian view of reality emerged. Part III then thematizes the development from individual early Christian writings to the New Testament as the collection of writings that is binding for the Christian church. This moves beyond the temporal framework of the origin of these writings, and processes come into view in which early Christianity secured its identity through such a collection of binding “canonical” writings . Finally, part IV thematizes the resulting question of how to conceptualize a “theology of the New Testament.” These are areas that have been at the center of my work on the New Testament and the history of early Christian theology for some time. The xiv Preface to the German Edition studies are therefore simultaneously situated in the context of larger projects as continuations or preparatory work: the early Christian Jesus tradition and the quest for the historical Jesus have constantly accompanied me since my [VI] habilitation thesis1 and continue to do so. I have recently submitted a summary of my current view in my Jesus presentation in the series “Biblische Gestalten.”2 Furthermore, I have taken on the commentary on Acts for the series Handbuch zum Neuen Testament and the volume on theology of the New Testament for the Neue Theologische Grundrisse. Some of the contributions gathered here are understood not least as steps on the path to these more comprehensive projects. I wish to thank all the people who have worked on the preparation of this volume. Astrid Hotze, who was then still a research assistant for my chair in Leipzig, prepared the first formatting of the contributions. The further oversight of the volume then rested in the hands of my current research assistant Christine Jacobi, who accompanied it with great dedication and reliability until the final version. The index was compiled by Lisa Fuchs, Friederike Gerlach, Sebastian Kropp, and Katharina Zeth and the bibliography by Denny Wermann. Marlies Schäfer, secretary at the Institute for New Testament of the theological faculty of the University of Leipzig, also participated in the proofreading of the manuscript. I would like to express warm thanks to all those mentioned for the dedication, diligence, and care that they devoted to the manuscript. Jörg Frey, editor of the Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament, immediately accepted my suggestion to publish the volume in this series without reservation. For this I wish to thank him (also) here. As usual, the collaboration with Mohr Siebeck, especially with Dr. Henning Ziebritzki and Ms. Tanja Mix, was congenial and uncomplicated. For this I am also extremely thankful. Jens Schröter Leipzig/Berlin, January 2007 1 Schröter 1997. 2 Schröter 2010 [2006]. ...