▁Karl ▁Bar th ▁( 1 8 8 6 - 1 9 6 8 ), ▁Rudolf ▁B ult mann , ▁and ▁others ▁moved ▁away ▁from ▁concern ▁over ▁the ▁historical ▁Jesus ▁and ▁concentr ated ▁instead ▁on ▁the ▁k ery g ma : ▁the ▁message ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Testament . ▁While ▁there ▁is ▁cons ensus ▁that ▁Bar th ▁was ▁a ▁great ▁the olog ian ▁of ▁the ▁century , ▁sch ol ars ▁such ▁as ▁the olog ian ▁Kon rad ▁Ham mann ▁call ▁B ult mann ▁the ▁" gi ant ▁of ▁tw enti eth - century ▁New ▁Testament ▁bib lic al ▁criticism : ▁His ▁pione ering ▁studies ▁in ▁bib lic al ▁criticism ▁sh aped ▁research ▁on ▁the ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁g osp els , ▁and ▁his ▁call ▁for ▁dem yth olog izing ▁bib lic al ▁language ▁spark ed ▁debate ▁among ▁Christian ▁the olog ians ▁world wide ." ▁ ▁B ult mann ' s ▁dem yth olog izing ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁re inter pret ation ▁of ▁the ▁bib lic al ▁myth s ▁(" my th " ▁is ▁defined ▁as ▁descri ptions ▁of ▁the ▁divine ▁in ▁human ▁terms ). ▁ ▁It ▁is ▁not ▁the ▁elim ination ▁of ▁myth ▁but ▁is , ▁instead , ▁its ▁re - expression ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁the ▁exist ential ▁philosophy ▁of ▁Martin ▁He ide g ger ▁( 1 8 8 9 - 1 9 7 6 ). ▁B ult mann ▁claimed ▁myth s ▁are ▁" true " ▁anth rop olog ically ▁and ▁exist entially ▁but ▁not ▁cosm olog ically . ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁major ▁pro ponent