Brevard Childs on exegesis and theology

“[I]t is a common caricature of the relationship between exegesis and theological reflection to suggest that the former is an independent historical and philological exercise ... whereas the latter is a subsequent and subjectively reflective activity, largely of a speculative nature.... Rather, I would argue that the relationship between exegesis and theology is a far more complex and more subtle one which is basically dialectical in nature. One comes to exegesis already with certain theological assumptions, and the task of good exegesis is to penetrate so deeply into the biblical text that even these assumptions are called into question, are tested and revised by the subject matter itself.”

—Brevard S. Childs, “Does the Old Testament Witness to Jesus Christ?” in Evangelium—Schriftauslegung—Kirche: Festschrift für Peter Stuhlmacher zum 65. Geburtstag (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1997), p. 60.