Chapter Fourteen. A Post-World War II Response To Karl Barth And Rudolf Bultmann: Biblical Hermeneutics And Modern Science In The ‘Dutch Reformed Church’ In The Twentieth Century

Abstract

In order to describe developments in the discussion of modern science and the interpretation of the Bible in the Dutch Reformed Church in the last century, this chapter discusses a publication of this church from 1965/67: Geloof en Natuurwetenschap . The report of the Dutch Reformed Church of 1965/67 has to be considered in connection with the renewal which took place in the Netherlands after World War II. Karl Barth greatly influenced the situation in both church and theology in Holland around 1950, and, although Rudolf Bultmann himself did not have many followers, his theology was broadly discussed, especially as a result of his publications on ?demythologizing.? In J.M. de Jong?s opinion, Bultmann?s dualism of creation and redemption, nature and faith, reaches almost metaphysical proportions. C.J. Dippel emphasised the prophetic aspects of the biblical message. This emphasis referred to all biblical texts, including the historical ones. Keywords: biblical hermeneutics; C.J. Dippel; Dutch reformed church; J.M. de Jong; Karl Barth; modern science; Rudolf Bultmann; World War II