Bible as a bearer of hope: This is how we overcome crises with faith!

Bible as a bearer of hope: This is how we overcome crises with faith!

In a world full of uncertainty and crises, biblical texts take on a completely new meaning. Theologian Sabine Bieberstein, who teaches at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, describes the Bible as “disaster literature,” created in times of greatest threat and foreign rule. These texts are not dusty traditions, but current testimonies that can support us with their courage and hope in times of crisis. According to bistum-eichstaett.de, the Bible offers patterns of interpretation that help to cope with disaster and preserve identity and hope.

Bieberstein's approach shows how important it is to question our self-image and to create new images of the future. While her area of ​​expertise includes exegesis of the Old and New Testaments, she is aware of the Catholic Church's current crisis of credibility. She believes that the power of biblical messages and the possibilities they open up can help us regain hope, especially in crisis areas like the Gaza Strip, where people's voices need to be heard and seen.

Biblical texts as trauma therapy

Interestingly, the Bible is also considered “trauma literature,” a concept debated in modern trauma studies. This perspective looks at how traumatic experiences can be conceptualized in language to develop new hopes. The zhkath.ch emphasizes that biblical texts are able to put often inarticulate suffering into words and thus find recognition. These narratives are not only historical documents, but also provide a deeper connection to the contemporary traumas that many people are experiencing.

The Zurich Protestant theologian Franz Tóth is one of the authors who deals intensively with these topics. Through his academic work and his introductory text on the topic, he tries to provide new impulses for pastoral and pastoral care and thus address readers directly.

The power of the biblical message

A central element in Bieberstein's teaching is the hope conveyed through biblical stories. In her farewell lecture, held on July 29, 2025, she emphasized the need to consider biblical literature in times of crisis. Her research bears witness to the belief that many biblical texts were written in times of existential threat and that these stories can serve as narratives of resistance against oppression, such as the story of Moses, which in its function contains a strong message against imperialist dreams of conquest. According to uni-heute.de, the discussion of personal and transcendent hope has played a central role in their research.

The diversity and depth of Bieberstein's teaching and research has not only shaped the academic landscape, but also influences discussions about identity and hope at a time when many people are searching for direction and meaning. Her legacy in theological education will continue to impact long after she leaves.

In summary, considerations of the Bible and its functional power in times of crisis produce a complex picture: from “catastrophe literature” to the current discussion of trauma, the biblical message offers more than just stories from times past; it also provides hope in the midst of the challenges of our world today.