Rudolf Bultmann - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Rudolf Bultmann (1884-1976) stands as one of the most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century, whose revolutionary approach to biblical interpretation fundamentally transformed modern theological discourse. A German Lutheran theologian and New Testament scholar, Bultmann pioneered the method of demythologization—a radical reinterpretation of the New Testament that sought to separate its eternal message from what he considered its mythological framework.
Born in Wiefelstede, Germany, Bultmann emerged from the intellectual ferment of early 20th-century German academia, where historical criticism of biblical texts was reaching new heights. His academic journey led him through the universities of Tübingen, Berlin, and Marburg, where he would later spend most of his career (1921-1951). This period coincided with the rise of existentialist philosophy, particularly through his association with Martin Heidegger, which profoundly influenced his theological perspective.
Bultmann's most controversial and enduring contribution was his program of demythologization, introduced in his 1941 essay "New Testament and Mythology." He argued that the New Testament's message was encased in a first-century mythological worldview—including concepts like a three-tiered universe, supernatural interventions, and miraculous events—which modern people could no longer accept. Rather than rejecting these texts, Bultmann proposed reinterpreting them to reveal their existential meaning for contemporary humanity. This approach sparked intense debate that continues to reverberate through theological circles today.
The legacy of Bultmann's work extends far beyond biblical studies, influencing fields from philosophy to literary criticism. His emphasis on existential interpretation opened new ways of understanding religious texts while maintaining their spiritual significance for modern readers. Though controversial, his methods demonstrated how ancient religious texts could speak meaningfully to contemporary audiences without requiring literal belief in pre-scientific worldviews. Today, as scholars continue to wrestle with questions of religious meaning in an increasingly secular world, Bultmann's insights into the relationship between myth, truth, and human existence remain remarkably relevant. His work raises the enduring question: How can ancient religious texts maintain their transformative power in a world that has outgrown their original cosmological framework?