ABSTRACT
The historical–critical method of interpreting the Bible is one of the prime achievements of academic theology. In its century-long history, is has been differentiated into many sub-groups and individual approaches. Scientific discussion in the field of historicism provided biblical interpretation with a high ideal of objectivity: the interpreter must distance himself from any personal judgement, must humbly draw close to the strange world of the author. The Bible is a material force capable of changing the world. The systematic study of the visual world of the Ancient Near East has made large contributions to understanding life in biblical times. In the 20th century, psychological analysis of the author had become a standard tool of literary science. The tendency towards relativising the theological concepts proposed by biblical authors as well as the pathologising of religious experience show clearly that we must make a careful distinction between historical psychology and psychological criticism of religion.
