Unsere grossen Wörter

Every generation faces the task of translating the significant words of its tradition into its own time and re-evaluating their guiding power. The theologians of the Reformation sought to counteract misdevelopments in the preaching and teaching of the ancient church and the Middle Ages by referring back to the Bible. In doing so, they subjected central concepts such as justice, grace, freedom, faith, works, word, and image to a thorough revision.

The Bern lecture series from the Reformation anniversary year 2017 addresses some of the great words of the Christian tradition in both speech and counter-speech. This has resulted in a dictionary that reveals the inexhaustible richness of the Reformation heritage and its interpretative diversity. The contributions explore the relevance of these words for contemporary life and invite a new appropriation of them.