Schleiermacher's Interpretation of the Bible

Book excerpt: Schleiermacher was a preacher, a clergyman of the Reformed Church in Germany, based in Berlin. He was also a popular author and teacher. Karl Barth described him first as a pastor, then a professor, and last of all a philosopher. He was controversial and remains controversial in all of these roles. He remains a seminal thinker, a pioneer in seeking to make Christianity speak with a modern voice. He addressed nineteenth-century Germany. He raised issues relevant to the twenty-first century. His best known works are On Religion: Speeches to its Cultured Despisers (1799) and The Christian Faith (1822), but little attention has been paid to his sermons, although he preached regularly to large congregations for over thirty years. This book is a glimpse at Schleiermacher in the pulpit.