The publication of a critical-historical edition of the works of August Hermann Francke continues with the second volume of his writings on Biblical hermeneutics. In addition to an extensive introduction, this volume again providesnotes about the sources for each printed work plus multiple indices.

August Hermann Francke begann seine akademische Tatigkeit in Halle als Professor des Griechischen und der orientalischen Sprachen. Ein Schwerpunkt seines wissenschaftlichen wie seines praktisch-erbaulichen Interesses lag auf Fragen der Exegese und der biblischen Hermeneutik. Dieser Band enthalt hermeneutische Schriften Franckes aus den Jahren 1685 bis 1707, die zum Teil aus seinen Vorlesungen hervorgegangen sind, zum Teil als Anleitungen zur Bibellekture an einen weiten Leserkreis gerichtet waren. Aufgenommen sind auch Franckes Observationes Biblicae, Bemerkungen zu einer Verbesserung der Bibelubersetzung Luthers, die wegen der damit verbundenen Kritik an der Lutherbibel eine heftige Kontroverse ausloesten.

The relationship between theology and literature in the 18th century is not identical to the relationship between religion and literature or piety and literature, neither conceptually nor factually, neither historically nor systematically. On the whole the relationship can be described as unstable, and in detail as difficult and open. Church-historical differentiations in the religious spectrum of Judaism, Catholicism and - with historically appropriate internal differentiation - Protestantism connect the contributions throughout the literary-historical epochs from the Baroque period to Romanticism with the description and analysis of constellations and relationships of competition and supplementation, of confrontation and coexistence. For example, theology learned from literature how to captivate the congregation as an audience; literature - as sermon - wanted to take over the claim to meaning and orientation from theology.