Oscar Cullmann - Böcker

Originally published in 1950 as the first title in the series Studies in Biblical Theology, Baptism in the New Testament was welcomed as, and has continued ever since to be an invaluable contribution to the debate set afoot by Barth in his booklet, The Teaching of the Church Concerning Baptism. `Here the reader can study the fresh, stimulating and constructive researches of one of the great Biblical scholars of Europe into the burning question of the origins of baptism. Dr Cullmann is an ardent protagonist of infant baptism, which is the subject of intense debate at the moment. He rightly deplores Barth's attempts to discredit the practice. On the basis of the kinship between circumcision and baptism on the one hand, and between the proselyte bath of the Jews and baptism on the other, he makes a forceful plea for the spiritual reality and legitimacy of baptizing infants. This is an essay which is packed with profound scriptural analysis; its relevance to current discussion in the Church of England is obvious' (Church Times). 'Of the merits of this essay there is little need to speak. The author is a well-known expert in matters relating to the origins of Christianity, and he has also a fine apprehension of the theological issues involved. He treats his subject under the four heads : the foundation of baptism in the work of Christ; baptism as acceptance into the body of Christ; baptism and faith; and baptism and circumcision ... Not everyone will agree entirely with the author's account of what takes place in baptism, but there can be no doubt that he is right in his general stress upon the objective character of this sacrament. We are indebted to him also for useful discussions of various texts and passages of the New Testament. It will be a surprise to some that there is even less New Testament evidence for the adult baptism of the children of believing Christians than there is for their baptism as infants. The linking of baptism with circumcision is very ably done, and in an appendix on an early baptismal formula the genuineness of Acts 8.37 is defended and the relevance of Christ's blessing of the children displayed' (The Life of Faith).

The first edition of this splendid book appeared in 1959. Dr Culimann has not changed his mind on points of substance, but has enlarged his book in this second edition by adding references to recent literature and by appending a notable epilogue, in which CulImann defends his position against the volleys thundering on the right hand, and on the left from Roman Catholic traditionalists and from radicals of the Bultmann school. In its new dress the book will long continue as a standard guide on a topic of electrifying importance for the student of New Testament thought.' Henry Chadwick in the Church of England Newspaper.. a work of comprehensive, careful and controversial scholarship ... will add notably to the equipment of every serious student of the New Testament.' Times Literary Supplement 'The author of this important book is one of the leading New Testament scholars of the day... He has produced a book, based on a lifetime of study, which is highly stimulating, and will command respect even where it provokes disagreement.' Church Times 'Professor CulImann covers an immense field, but this book is the product of reflection over many years. It reveals deep and searching thought and the disciplined use of a powerful mind; and the result is a book of mark.' Glasgow Herald

Oscar Cullmann was born in Strasbourg and studied theology and classical philology there and in Paris. Since 1938 he has been Professor of New Testament and Early Church History in the Theological Faculty of the University of Basel and also, since 1949, Professor of Early Christianity at the Sorbonne, the Ecole des Hautes Etudes, and the Faculte de Theologie Protestante in Paris. He has received honorary degrees from Lausanne, Manchester, Edinburgh, and Lund.

This is a book which Professor Cullmann, now in his nineties, has long been wanting to write; its profundity and scholarship show that has not lost any of the qualities which made his other New Testament studies so memorable. But he has always been more than just a biblical specialist in his desire to relate his findings to the experience of being a Christian today, and in this book he goes even further in that direction than before.

'Among historians of the Early Church in Europe today, none surpasses Professor Cullmann, wrote Professor F. F. Bruce in a review of this book, adding: 'this volume of studies is assured of wide and eager acceptance.' A reviewer from a quite different religious background, Father Gervase Mathew, O.P., noted that these essays are 'marked by three rare qualities: strong sanity, exact scholarship and Christian charity'. 'All are written with the author's customary distinction, clarity and orderliness,' said an Anglican, Canon Montefiore, about this 'fine collection of brilliant essays'.The Early Church was first published in English in 1956. For this edition five of the chapters (2-6) have been selected as being of special importance, but the original pagination has been retained for the convenience of scholars. This arrangement, suggested by the volume's editor Dr A.J.B. Higgins, has been approved by Dr Cullmann.

Oscar Cullmann's The Christology of the New Testament was the standard student textbook in New Testament courses and the measuring stick for scholarly inquiry into Christology for decades. An enduring classic, this book is based on a lifetime of study from one of the most creative and disciplined minds ever to tackle the problem of New Testament Christology. Cullmann moves methodically through his careful philological and textual consideration of the various titles used for Jesus in the New Testament, dividing them into four groups: titles used to refer to Jesus' earthly life (prophet, servant, and priest); titles used to refer to Jesus' eschatological work (Messiah and Son of Man); titles used to refer to Jesus' present work in the church (Lord and Savior); and titles used to refer to Jesus' preexistence (Word and Son of God). In each case, he weighs the New Testament's usage of each title against the Old Testament, Second Temple Jewish, and Hellenistic semantic backgrounds. Though Cullmann sifts the evidence analytically and presents it systematically, the end result is not simply a christological lexicon. Instead, he creates a cohesive picture by showing that early Christianity's view of Jesus originated with the historical Jesus himself. For Cullmann, New Testament Christology was not a later Hellenistic imposition upon earlier Jewish beliefs about Jesus. Rather, the titles used for Jesus form a chain of specific events centered around Jesus, events that fit into and extend the long string of God's saving deeds in history. Cullmann's Christology remains as instructive and important today as when it first appeared - and still repays careful reading and study.

Oscar Cullmann's 1962 revision of Peter in turn carefully treats the "Historical Question" and the "Exegetical and Theological Question" of the apostle Peter. While Cullmann cannot decisively confirm some of the details of Peter's life—his residence in Rome and the location of his grave, in particular—other details are described as more probable, such as Peter's travel to Rome and his martyrdom under Nero. Cullmann faithfully seeks Catholic-Protestant dialogue while maintaining that Jesus' words—"upon this rock I will build my church"—refer to the apostle alone and provide no historical basis for succession. The timeless quality of Cullmann's methods and his overwhelming concern for Christian unity are sure to inspire new generations of biblical scholars and contemporary theologians.

Oscar Cullmann's 1962 revision of Peter in turn carefully treats the ""Historical Question"" and the ""Exegetical and Theological Question"" of the apostle Peter. While Cullmann cannot decisively confirm some of the details of Peter's life - his residence in Rome and the location of his grave, in particular - other details are described as more probable, such as Peter's travel to Rome and his martyrdom under Nero. Cullmann faithfully seeks Catholic-Protestant dialogue while maintaining that Jesus' words - ""upon this rock I will build my church"" - refer to the apostle alone and provide no historical basis for succession. The timeless quality of Cullmann's methods and his overwhelming concern for Christian unity are sure to inspire new generations of biblical scholars and contemporary theologians.

Rudolf Bultmann und Oscar Cullmann zählen zu den bedeutendsten Neutestamentlern und Theologen des 20. Jahrhunderts. Ihre Publikationen werden bis in die Gegenwart in unterschiedlichen Sprachen neu aufgelegt. Am Anfang war ihre Beziehung von gegenseitiger Wertschätzung und regem publizistischem Austausch geprägt. Immer mehr führte aber die Ausarbeitung unterschiedlicher theologischer Konzeptionen zum kritischen Diskurs, der in den offenen Widerspruch mündete. Dennoch standen sie zeitlebens - mit einigen Unterbrechungen - miteinander in einem wohlwollenden Briefwechsel. In diesem Band werden alle erhaltenen Briefe und Postkarten dieser Korrespondenz in einer kommentierten Fassung vorgelegt. In zehn Studien werden zusätzlich die Werke der beiden Theologen aus zeitgeschichtlicher, theologischer und exegetischer Perspektive analysiert und für die gegenwärtige theologische Arbeit ausgewertet.