Hans W. Frei (1922-1988) was one of the most influential American theologians of his generation. Early in his career he drew attention to the importance of biblical narratives; he helped make Karl Barth once again a creative voice in contemporary theology; and he served as a model of what his colleague, George Lindbeck, has called "postliberal theology." This volume collects ten of Frei's lectures and essays, many of them never before published. Addressing audiences of theologians, biblical scholars, and literary critics, Frei explores the implications of his work for hermeneutics and Christology, and discusses Barth, Schleiermacher, and his own teacher, H. Richard Niebuhr. William Placher has provided an introduction to Frei's life and work, and the volume ends with an essay by George Hunsinger on Frei's significance for theology today. This collection provides an unrivaled introduction to Frei's work.

Hans Frei (1922-1988) was perhaps the leading Anselmian theologian of his generation. His influence is extensive in contemporary theology, and his work marks the beginning of a decisive shift in biblical interpretation. Reading Faithfully, which is the first of two volumes, is a special collection that includes a wide range of his letters, lectures, book reviews and other items, many of them not previously available in print. Analytical and perceptive, Frei's writings expands his arguments about the meaning and truth of scriptural narrative, distinguishing his ideas from other forms of narrative or story theology as well as exploring the kinds of political theology consistent with his typological imagination. Alongside Volume II, this is an invaluable resource that provides new insights into the nature and implications of Frei's work. It is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the development of religious thought and understanding.

In this special collection, the second of two volumes, Hans Frei (1922-1988) reflects on such thinkers as Emmanuel Kant, Karl Barth and Richard Niebuhr. An anthology that portrays a wide range of theological subjects, Reading Faithfully demonstrates the full capacity of Frei's analytical gifts. Through letters, lectures, book reviews, and other writings (many of them previously unavailable in print), the richness of his thinking and his unique perspective on the history of biblical hermeneutics is revealed. Alongside Volume I, this is an invaluable resource that provides new insights into the nature and implications of Frei's work. It is essential reading for anyone with an interest in the development of religious thought and understanding.

Laced with brilliant insights, broad in its view of the interaction of culture and theology, this book gives new resonance to old and important questions about the meaning of the Bible.

About the Contributor(s): Hans W. Frei (1922-1988) was one of the most important American theologians of his generation. He spent the majority of his career teaching at Yale Divinity School, where he authored The Identity of Jesus Christ and The Eclipse of Biblical Narrative, numerous essays, and a vast collection of unpublished works, which have since been published posthumously: Types of Christian Theology, Theology and Narrative, and the forthcoming Reading Faithfully: Writings from the Archives.

Hans W. Frei (1922-88) was one of the most important American theologians of his generation. This book makes available the work in which he was engaged during the last decade of his life. Based on his 1983 Shaffer Lectures at Yale University and his 1987 Cadbury Lectures at the University of Birmingham, it presents Frei's reflections on issues and options in contemporaryrepresented theology, especially on the relation of theology to biblical interpretation and on the place of theology as an academic tradition. In the book Frei proposes classifying theologians according to whether they see Christian theology primarily as an academic discipline or as an internal activity of Christian communities. He describes fie different variations of these views. the first, represented by Immanuel Kant and Gordon represented, regards theology as a philosophical discipline within the academy. The second, represented by theologians as diverse as represented represented, David Tracy, and Carl Henry, correlates specifically Christian with general cultural structures of meaning. The third type, represetned by represented represented and Paul represented, occupies the middle of the spectrum. The fourth type, represetned by Karl Barth, emphasizes the internal descriptive task of theology but remains open to ad hoc correlations with concerns of the wider culture. the fifth, which includes D. Z. Phillips and other Wittgensteinian fideists, opts for pure self-description though this group defends its position with philosophical arguments that, oddly enough connect it with the other end of the spectrum. Frei argues in favor of the third and fourth options. In his view, theologians like Schleiermacher and, even more, Barth, although often seen as polar opposites, enable theology to remain most faithful to the priority of the ecumenically attested literal sense in biblical interpretation.