The commemorative publication ‘Die Bibel zum Sprechen bringen’ (Bringing the Bible to Life) has just been released, honouring Prof. Dr. Holger Strutwolf, Director of the Institute for New Testament Textual Research (INTF) and the Bible Museum at the University of Münster, on the occasion of his 65th birthday. In over 40 articles, internationally renowned scholars shed light on the current state of research in the field of reconstructing the ‘original text’ of the Greek New Testament. The commemorative publication contains studies on manuscript tradition, the emergence of variants, versional and patristic tradition, exegesis and (digital) text editing. The commemorative publication was presented at this year's international conference of the Society for New Testament Studies (SNTS) in Regensburg.

At the INTF, which Strutwolf has headed for over 20 years, not only were all known manuscript fragments and text bodies listed and analysed, but a new computer-assisted method was also developed to identify relationships and the chronological development of passages in the New Testament. The INTF is considered one of the world's leading scientific institutions conducting research on the textual history of the New Testament. 

What may sound dry and scientific at first glance has an impact on the religious practices of millions of Christians: Based on its scholarly work, the INTF publishes both the Editio Critica Maior (ECM) of the Greek New Testament (the ‘major edition’), a scholarly complete edition based on all relevant material, and two hand editions, the Nestle-Aland and the Greek New Testament, for translation and teaching purposes. The editions offer the same text, but have different levels of textual criticism.

About the person:

Through his scientific and organisational work, Holger Strutwolf has played a significant role in fundamentally improving both the ‘Editio Critica Maior’ and the related editions ‘Nestle-Aland’ and ‘Greek New Testament’. However, his expertise extends beyond textual criticism and the textual history of the New Testament: he is also interested in the philosophy and theology of the early church, as well as the philosophy of antiquity, and is particularly fascinated by the Middle and Neoplatonic thought of Numenius, Plotinus and Proclus. He combines theory and practice as director of the Bible Museum, where he has been responsible for many exhibitions with national and international loans, collaborations and projects.

Born in East Frisia, he has been director of the INTF and managing director of the Hermann Kunst Foundation for the Promotion of New Testament Text Research since 2004. He completed his studies in Protestant theology in Bethel (Bielefeld) and Heidelberg in 1988 with his first theological examination and a master's degree in theology in Heidelberg. After completing his doctorate in Heidelberg in 1991 on the topic of ‘Gnosis as a System: On the Reception of Valentinian Gnosis in Origen,’ he moved to Münster to join the Institute for New Testament Textual Research. During this time, he habilitated under Barbara Aland with a thesis on ‘The Trinitarian Theology and Christology of Eusebius of Caesarea.’ After six years in the service of the Protestant Church of the Palatinate, he returned to Münster in 2004 as Professor of Patristics and New Testament Textual Research and Director of the INTF.