Scholars of the history of theology and the humanities from North America, Scandinavia and Germany investigate Biblical hermeneutics from its foundations laid during the Reformation (Luther, Melanchthon) to its multifaceted effects during the 16th and 17th centuries. This book specifically focuses on the diversity of the art of exegesis as exemplified in theological textbooks, sermons and the divine service.

This volume contains studies on the interdisciplinary exploration of the intermedial interpretation of the New Testament narrative material concerning Golgotha in the Early Modern Age. Special consideration has been given to multifaceted aspects of the history of theology, exegesis, art, literature and music.

The Old Testament Book of Jonah has attracted considerable attention ever since ancient Christian times and has stimulated the production of numerous commentaries, sermons, poetical compositions and visual depictions. Indeed, the story of Jonah has provoked heterogeneous adaptions even in the realm of contemporary literature. This volume contains studies featuring interdisciplinary exploration of the story's intermedial interpretation from ancient times through to the 20th century. In the process it considers multifaceted aspects of theology, exegesis, literature, culture and art history.

Andreas Gryphius' ALeichabdankungenA (funeral sermons and speeches), presented here for the first time in a critical edition, are unique examples of the culture of mourning and consolation existing in the early modern age. The edition is based on the posthumous collected edition of 1666. An appendix contains all those supplements to the first prints of the ALeichabdankungenA that were not included in the collected edition and all other texts by Gryphius relating to the persons thus commemorated. The concluding section supplies the most important bibliographic, prosopographic, and historical information required.

Der Sammelband bietet einen facettenreichen UEberblick uber funf Jahrhunderte Hamburger Kultur- und Christentumsgeschichte und ordnet zugleich die lokalgeschichtlichen Aspekte in die ubergreifenden mentalitatsgeschichtlichen Entwicklungen ein. Die Beitrage spannen einen Bogen von der Reformationszeit uber das konfessionelle Zeitalter und dasjenige der Aufklarung bis hinein in das 20. Jahrhundert. Besonderes Augenmerk liegt dabei auf der Kultur der Gelehrsamkeit am Hamburger Akademischen Gymnasium im 17./18. Jahrhundert (J.A. Fabricius, J.Chr. Wolf, H.S. Reimarus), der Debatte zwischen Lessing und Johann Melchior Goeze im Rahmen des sog. Fragmentenstreits, der Grundungsgeschichte der Hamburger Theologischen Fakultat und der Bedeutung des Wirkens Helmut Thielickes sowie der Missionswissenschaft als eines Hamburger Propriums. Zudem enthalt der Band innovative Studien zur Hamburger Erweckungsbewegung (Sieveking/Averdieck) sowie zu Johann Hinrich Wichern. Ein programmatischer Beitrag zur Standortbestimmung der wissenschaftlichen Theologie im universitaren Kontext angesichts der voranschreitenden Sakularisierung richtet den Blick in die Zukunft. Ein detailliertes Verzeichnis samtlicher in Hamburg Promovierter (380 Personen) sowie aller Ehrendoktoren beschliesst den Band.

The volume presents the first edited version in existence of the autobiography of the mystic spiritualist Friedrich Breckling (1629-1711), which has come down to us in manuscript form. The source is given detailed commentary and contains precise genealogical information on Breckling's family situation and on his career, including the specific complexion of his close-meshed communication network. In this work, autobiography, chronicle, and apocalyptic tractate combine to form a hybrid literary genre that can rightfully claim special, if not unique, status among the 'ego documents' of the early modern age. Detailed indexes round off the volume.

Hamburg gilt als wegweisende europaische Metropolregion der Fruhen Neuzeit und der Epoche der Aufklarung. Gleichwohl fehlt in zahlreichen Hinsichten eine angemessene Erhellung der Stadtgeschichte. Dieser Band bietet eine Vielzahl von innovativen Beitragen zu wichtigen Aspekten der Literatur-, Wissenschafts-, Musik-, Alltags-, Kunst- und Kirchengeschichte der Hansestadt und fullt damit zahlreiche Wissenslucken."

a ~Go seek, my heart, the joys of lifea (TM) by Paul Gerhardt (1607-1676) counts among the best-known German church hymns and is one of the most vivid extant texts from the Age of Baroque. Johann Anselm Steiger presents an historically sensitive interpretation of this masterpiece and decodes the Summer Song consistently from its contexts in the history of piety, lyric poetry and theology. For the first time, adequate account is taken of theology in the Baroque, of the spiritual study of nature and of emblematics. Gerhardt is presented as an exemplar of the poeta doctus who in his poetry met the multi-facetted erudition of his age on equal terms and assimilated it in a congenial manner.