Theologies of the New Testament in Twentieth-Century Francophone Scholarship: An Assessment of an (Absent) Tradition

Abstract

Anyone interested in theologies of the New Testament in twentieth-century francophone scholarship is likely to be disappointed. In effect, few French-speaking biblical scholars have produced synthesizing works that explore the theological depth and cohesion of the entire New Testament corpus. How are we to explain the lack of interest in this literary genre? Is it strictly a matter of chance, or does it reflect more fundamental considerations and scholarly criteria? Has francophone exegesis simply abandoned the approach, or has the theological study of the writings of nascent Christianity manifested itself in different exegetical forms? These are questions to which this study attempts to provide answers.