The principles of orthodox hermeneutics

This article constitutes the second part of a course given by Paul Evdokimov at the Institut Supérieur d'Études Œcuméniques in Paris on the principles of Orthodox hermeneutics. It takes the form of a critical and comparative study of the theologies of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rudolf Bultmann, examined from an Orthodox perspective. Evdokimov analyzes Bonhoeffer's notion of "non-religious interpretation" of the Scriptures in the face of a secularized world, highlighting its convergences with kenotic theology and the theologia crucis. He shows that the "weakness" of God, far from being a form of powerlessness, expresses the divine respect for human freedom, thus meeting the Orthodox patristic and mystical tradition. The principal theological contribution lies in bringing contemporary Protestant thought into dialogue with the resources of apophatic theology, the Christology of the Fathers, and Orthodox spirituality, notably through Nicholas Cabasilas and Saint Maximus the Confessor.