P6: Sacralization and Desacralization in and of New Testament

The project Sacralization and Desacralization in and of New Testament Texts investigates characteristics of New Testament texts that particularly claim and/or relativize functions of securing authority, identity formation and normativity. Within the joint research program of the research group FOR 2828 De/Sacralization of Texts, such functions or their relativization are described as dynamic processes of sacralization and desacralization. The sacralization of New Testament texts is thus not only examined in terms of their canonization process, but already in the context of their own emergence and formation. Have the authors of the New Testament writings already understood these texts as at least religiously elevated texts and written them as such? Were the individual writings of what we call the New Testament perceived by their first addressees or recipients as religiously emphasized texts? From a perspective of practice-theory, the use of the writings will therefore be a central issue.

It is assumed that the texts of the New Testament already show a potential for sacralization through their content; by telling the Jesus Christ story as an outstanding event in the history of God with Israel (Mt 1) or with humanity in general (Lk 3). In addition to sovereign titles and a comprehensive narrative tradition, the stories of Jesus' death and resurrection and their theological interpretation contribute significantly to the religious emphasis of the Jesus Christ story. Further motifs are ethical passages that are linked to high normative demands, as well as questions of the authorship of the New Testament writings, which are provided with claims to authority, for example with regard to their relationship to God. At the same time, it can be observed that the New Testament texts, in the phase of their formation through annotation with the Old Testament texts, which in turn were perceived as religiously highlighted, are developing into a new corpus of texts which, as a whole, have a special religious significance for the developing Christian tradition. Using selected New Testament texts as examples, the project contributes significantly to questions of the formation, reception and pragmatization of sacred texts. In two partial studies, the aforementioned analytical insights will be tested on texts from the Gospel of Matthew and the letters of Paul, and the characteristics of de-/sacralization will be related to each other. In this way, and in discussion with the other participants in the research group, it is expected that the underlying concepts of De/Sacralization of the New Testament texts can be perceived.