Präsentation des Buches von Hans Klein, „Der Mensch zwischen Himmel und Erde. Jesus nach dem Zeugnis der Evangelien“

Abstract

Hans Klein’s  Der Mensch zwischen Himmel und Erde. Jesus nach dem Zeugnis der Evangelien (Honterus Verlag, Sibiu, 2021) represents a significant contribution to contemporary Jesus research, combining historical-critical rigor with pastoral sensitivity. Across sixteen chapters, Klein develops a nuanced portrait of Jesus that is attentive both to the diversity of Gospel traditions and to their existential resonance for modern readers. The introductory sections situate Jesus within his historical and socio-religious context, while highlighting distinctive traits such as his keen powers of observation and his closeness to people, which serve as hermeneutical keys to his message. The subsequent chapters trace the beginnings of Jesus’ ministry, his proclamation of the kingdom of God, his miracles, his relationship to disciples and women, and the central themes of salvation, prayer, and obedience to God’s will. Particularly noteworthy is Klein’s emphasis on the resurrection as the hermeneutical center of the Gospel witness, through which Jesus’ identity and titles acquire their full meaning. The unusual placement of the infancy narratives at the end of the book underscores the scholarly consensus that the Gospels were composed “from the end,” with Passion and Resurrection as their core. Klein’s work thus achieves a rare balance: it respects the plurality of Gospel perspectives without reducing them, while simultaneously unfolding the theological depth of Jesus as “the man between heaven and earth,” the locus of divine revelation who brings heaven piece by piece to earth.