The Legacy of Hans W. Frei

This volume demonstrates Hans W. Frei’s unique contribution to theology and biblical hermeneutics. Divided into five parts, the volume first outlines key biographical details, including a little­known interview from 1980 (excerpted), and Frei’s Jewish background while growing up in Nazi Germany.

The subsequent four parts offer insights into both the centrality of biblical narrative and its fateful eclipse by modernity, as well as Frei’s usage of Anselm and Barth. The scholars who contribute to this volume examine Frei’s analytical rigor, his plea for a “high Christology” in the service of the church; and his shifting interpretations over the years regarding scripture’s “literal sense”. They examine Frei’s relationship to other contemporary notables such as Paul Ricoeur, Eberhard Jüngel, George A. Lindbeck and Carl F. H. Henry, along with an alternative Roman Catholic reading of the history of biblical hermeneutics over against the one he advocates.