Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: This article explores a constructive dialogue between Friedrich Schleiermacher’s general hermeneutics and Karl Barth’s theological exegesis, aiming to move beyond their perceived opposition. While Schleiermacher emphasizes human understanding through grammatical and psychological interpretation, Barth insists on the priority of divine revelation and the theological content of Scripture. This paper argues that a theologically informed theory of understanding can reconcile these positions. By engaging with hermeneutical theorists such as Gadamer and Ricoeur, and incorporating theological categories like the role of the Holy Spirit, the communal nature of reading, and the doctrine of human as sinner and saint, the article proposes a more integrated approach. This approach affirms both divine initiative and human participation in the interpretive process, suggesting that Schleiermacher’s insights can enrich Barth’s exegesis, and vice versa. In doing so, it advocates for a theological hermeneutics that is both faithful to the Scripture and attentive to the realities of human understanding.
Source: Collectanea Theologica
DOI: 10.21697/ct.96.1.04
Authors: Denni Boy Saragih, Salomo Sihombing
Language: English
Subfield: Philosophy
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7129761212