New Testament Exegesis as an Academic Discipline with Relevance for Other Disciplines

This article is an English translation of a lecture delivered in November 2011 upon the author’s installation as Professor of New Testament at Uppsala University. It addresses several conceptual and methodological questions about New Testament Exegesis, including: ‘What is New Testament Exegesis?’ ‘What does it mean to call New Testament Exegesis an academic discipline?’ and ‘How can this discipline have relevance for other disciplines?’ A central argument is that the current balkanization of biblical studies is undesirable and that scholars who use more traditional or newer methods should engage each other rather than talk past each other. Since the so-called ‘historical-critical method’ is, in fact, not just one method, this misconception in current nomenclature merits critical attention. Additionally, ‘the linguistic turn’ holds promise for future discussions