In German university theology, the historical-critical method is the leading method of interpreting the Bible. It asks what meaning a biblical text had at the time it was written. Students work through a series of analyses, such as text criticism, form criticism, literary criticism and transmission criticism.
In one university guide, the theological statement about the text comes only as step 12 of 13. Its scholars include Julius Wellhausen and Hermann Gunkel.
The German Bible Society’s lexicon also notes that critics in recent decades have pointed to the limits of the method.