Thorsten Moritz and Created to Interpret
Feb 11, 2024
Thorsten Moritz is a theology and hermeneutics professor who started Warehouse Theology. Today, Thorsten shares his story of growing up as “a good Lutheran” in Germany, going to the United States in high school, and studying theology at a fundamentalist school. As he began to question the institution, he knew he needed more perspectives and pursued theology until he got a PhD. He shares his philosophy and practice of interpreting the Bible and why it’s so vital that each believer learn how to move beyond proof texts to interpretation. Now, Thorsten shares about what he’s doing with Warehouse Theology and why he’s working to decentralize theological education. Thorsten’s story reminds us that how we read is a critical skill for all of us.
Listen to Thorsten’s story in your favorite podcast player now!
Stories Thorsten shared:
- Growing up in Germany in a picturesque town in the Black Forest
- His family who were survivors of WWII and good Lutherans
- Leading a church youth group and starting to studying
- Coming to the United States as an exchange student
- Going to theological school in Germany and realizing the philosophical commitments
- Choosing to get his master’s in England
- The opposite of good hermeneutics
- Why how we interpret matters
- How he thinks of the dark night of the soul
- Interpreting for Grant Osborne in Germany
- Why interpretation is so vital for the Christian
Great quotes from Thorsten:
Christians apparently have decided by majority that they want to go for a managed humanity and that’s the opposite of what I saw in the New Testament.
Interpretation requires imagining of oneself into the other including the implied author.
No matter how intellectual my approach might be, I know my limits.
We need to start reading each book as one thing.
Resources we mentioned:
- Thorsten’s website
- Hermeneutical Spiral: A Comprehensive Introduction to Biblical Interpretation by Grant Osborne
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