American Library Association Award 2020 for the University of Greifswald

Portrait Prof. Dr. Heinrich Assel, photo: ©Kilian_Dorner
Portrait Prof. Dr. Heinrich Assel, photo: ©Kilian_Dorner
Portrait Dr. Nicole Rupschus, photo: ©privat
Portrait Dr. Nicole Rupschus, photo: ©privat

The Encyclopedia of the Bible and Its Reception (EBR) presents an extensive account of the present state of knowledge on the origins and the development of the Bible as portrayed in various Jewish and Christian canons. 4000 authors from more than 50 countries document the history of the reception of the Bible; but not only in the Christian churches and Jewish diaspora, but also Islam, in other religious traditions and in current religious movements, as well as literature, art, music, and film.

With this broad approach, when EBR published its first entries in 2009, it broke new ground.  Since then, EBR has illustrated that the individual biblical texts have their own evolutionary background and context. Furthermore, it shows how these writings were received and interpreted and which influence they had on a number of various religious and theological relationships, as well as on art and culture. The broad reception and the entirely positive echo show how EBR is already shaping research into the Bible and its reception. 18 of a total of 30 volumes have already been published in paper and online formats, and ahead-of-print articles are published online every quarter.

‘The interreligious and intercultural approach, academic excellence and the digital collaboration of the 38 international editors, as well as the digital publishing of the texts make EBR a milestone. Greifswald’s theology is nationally and internationally visible and one of the leading contributors to research into the Bible and its history of literary reception. Immediately after completing her prizewinning doctorate in Greifswald, Dr. Nicole Rupschus, a former student and doctoral candidate at our Faculty, gained a highly responsible position in Berlin’s team of EBR editors at the publishing house de Gruyter,’ explains Prof. Dr. Heinrich Assel (Chair of Systematic Theology). As co-editor of the EBR, he is responsible for the entire field Modern European Christianity.

‘In times of progressive digitisation, EBR Online has become an indispensable source for research and teaching. The encyclopaedia is a reflection of Greifswald’s Faculty of Theology: outstanding subject expertise, international and excellent,’ underlines Dr. Nicole Rupschus.


Further Information

American Library Association
Faculty of Theology at the University of Greifswald

Prof. Dr. Heinrich Assel, Chair of Systematic Theology and Dean of the Faculty of Theology. Co-editor of EBR since 2013. In 2020, he published: Elementare Christologie Volumes I-III, Randomhouse: Gütersloh 2020 [de]

Dr. Nicole Rupschus completed her doctorate at Prof. Dr. Stefan Beyerle’s Chair of Old Testament in Greifswald. She received the University of Greifswald’s Gender Prize in 2017. She has been a contributing editor of EBR at de Gruyter’s head office in Berlin since 2017. nicole.rupschusdegruytercom


Contact at the University of Greifswald
Prof. Dr. Heinrich Assel
Faculty of Theology
Chair of Systematic Theology
Am Rubenowplatz 2/3, 17489 Greifswald
Tel.: +49 3834 420 2503
asseluni-greifswaldde


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