Abstract

In this “debate,ˮ which encompasses both a discussion and a conference, I would like to continue my research published under the title "Politiques de la religion". To do so, I would like to address the questions that have shaped and continue to, in some way, influence research on the origins of Christianity between the mid-nineteenth and mid-twentieth centuries, particularly in German New Testament exegesis. However, I will not delve into this question, which would have to be examined in its entirety, instead I will examine it indirectly by considering only some of the concepts that have driven it. Obviously, the elements included in this “debateˮ do not directly pertain to the history of the origins of Christianity, except through the epistemological premises of research, indeed of all research. To understand the past, the historian must navigate through the present and its patterns of thought, especially those related to political and cultural, which are often silent, not if not insidious, and constantly evolving. Therefore, he or she must keep his or her mind on the alert, keeping abreast of new concepts that may emerge, especially in philosophical circles, without necessarily allowing himself or herself to be contaminated by them.