Cultural Reader: Gadamer’s Hermeneutics and Theology

Hans-Georg Gadamer was not a theologian in the strict sense. Yet his philosophical hermeneutics has had a lasting impact on theology, reshaping biblical interpretation, Christian self-understanding, and the relation between philosophy and faith. His approach shows how philosophy and theology remain deeply intertwined, even when they insist on their differences.

Hermeneutic Turning Points

The history of hermeneutics has seen decisive shifts. The first turning point came with Augustine’s De Doctrina Christiana, which rooted interpretation in liturgical practice and the Christian ethic of love. The second was the Enlightenment, epitomized by Spinoza’s Theologico-Political Treatise and later by Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, who introduced the “hermeneutics of suspicion.” Gadamer represents a third great transformation. Alongside Heidegger and Barth, he shifted interpretation away from epistemology toward existence, dialogue, and identity. Hermeneutics thus became less about method and more about the conditions of human life itself.

Faith Seeking Understanding

For Gadamer, the human search for truth is marked by finitude, mystery, and the constant openness of questioning. Philosophy is not about achieving certainty once and for all but about participating in an unending movement of inquiry. In this respect, hermeneutics parallels the old theological notion of fides quaerens intellectum—faith seeking understanding. Even outside explicitly religious frameworks, understanding rests on trust and receptivity to what transcends our control.

The Christian Message as a Sign

Gadamer saw the Christian proclamation as a particularly challenging case of interpretation. The gospel is not a universal symbol that fits neatly into human cultural categories. It appears as a sign—something that is only visible to those willing to receive it. The Easter message of suffering and resurrection confronts the interpreter not with an abundance of possible meanings but with radical exposure to mortality. In this sense, theology cannot avoid being hermeneutical: the truth it proclaims is inseparable from the openness and risk of interpretation.

Dialogue Between Philosophy and Theology

Gadamer’s hermeneutics reveals philosophy and theology as partners in dialogue. Philosophy, by exposing the inexhaustibility of human self-understanding, keeps itself open to the possibility of revelation. Theology, for its part, is challenged to remain philosophical, resisting dogmatism and constantly engaging with the lived conditions of human existence. Rather than existing in separate spheres, the two disciplines meet in the space of interpretation, where both are confronted with the mystery of truth.

Why Hermeneutics Matters for Theology

Gadamer’s influence on theology is evident in modern biblical interpretation, where the focus shifted from reconstructing authorial intent to engaging the living subject matter of the text. By stressing the role of history, language, and dialogue, Gadamer enabled theology to respond to modern critical methods without abandoning its claims to truth. Hermeneutics, for him, is not simply about technical skills but about living responsibly within tradition and allowing truth to emerge anew.

Gadamer’s work demonstrates that theology and philosophy are united in the hermeneutical quest. Both interpret—whether revelation or existence—and both affirm that truth is not a possession but an event. In this light, theology becomes less about defending static doctrines and more about remaining open to understanding as it unfolds in history, dialogue, and community.