Rudolf Bultmann's Demythologizing of the New Testament
RUDOLF BULTMANN'S DEMYTHOLOGIZING OF THE NEW TESTAMENT A theological debate of major importance was begun in 1941 by Rudolf Bultmann's conference "Neues Testament und Mythologie," and for almost twenty years it has been carried on by theologians, exegetes, and philosophers of the most diverse backgrounds and convictions. The five volumes edited by Hans Werner Bartsch under the title Kerygma und Mythos,1 a collection containing the conference of Bultmann, and many of the contributions to the debate from Bultmann himself and others, are evidence of the interest which has been aroused. It is gratifying that Catholic scholars have taken their part; the fifth volume of Kerygma und Mythos is made up of some of their discussions of the problem. One finds there the names of Karl Adam, R. Schnackenburg, J. de Fraine, and J. Hâmer, among others. The fullest treatments given thus far by Catholics are Leopold Malevez's Le Message Chrétien et le Mythe,2 and Rene Marlé's Bültmann et l'Interprétation du Nouveau Testament? Among the works in English which should be specially mentioned are Reginald Fuller's Kerygma and Myth? a translation of much of the first volume of Kerygma und Mythos, and a small part of the second, together with an essay by the Eng- lish theologian, Austin Farrer; also, Ian Henderson's Myth in the New Testament.B The essay of Amos Wilder, "Mythology and New Testament,"6 and that of Kendrick Grobel, "Bultmann's Problem of New Testament 'Mythology' " 7 are of interest, since both were 1 Hamburg: Vol. I, 2 ed., 19S1; II, 1952; III, 1954; IV, 1955; V, 1955.
[Show full text]