“But We Were in the Wilderness,and There God Speaks Quite Differently”: On the Significance of Preaching in the Theology and Work of Gerhard von Rad“But We Were in the Wilderness,and There God Speaks Quite Differently”: On the Significance of Preaching in the Theology and Work of Gerhard von Rad 1

Abstract

Gerhard von Rad's concept of preaching is based on a biblical and homiletical hermeneutic that draws on some key insights of Karl Barth's dialectical theology. Von Rad's sermons were deeply informed by the older, liberal tradition and its concern for a distinctly “modern” way of preaching. This essay sketches the development of his concept of preaching as it relates to his work as an Old Testament scholar and university preacher.