Effective-History and the Hermeneutics of Ulrich Luz

The background of a short description of the recent growing interest in the effective-history (Wirkungsgeschichte ) of the biblical text precedes a foregrounding of Ulrich Luz and his work. His interests in recent forms of hermeneutics and ecumenism are considered alongside his role as an academic within the scholarly guild of biblical studies. A discussion of what Luz is trying to achieve in a sample section of his famous Matthew commentary leads, through consideration of some reviews and Luz’s own recent thinking, to a conclusion that an emphasis on religious spirituality as that which persists through the ages, from Bible to present times is problematic for downplaying the doctrinal concerns taught in these passages.