German theological term meaning "subject-matter criticism" that provides a critical method for evaluating biblical interpretation based on Scripture’s own subject matter rather than external criteria. Developed in German biblical criticism to distinguish authentic from inauthentic traditions, Sachkritik establishes Christ as the interpretive criterion for theological claims. This approach was adopted by
Karl Barth as an alternative to both historical positivism and theological liberalism, providing a theological criterion for evaluating biblical interpretation. Sachkritik complements
Backward Vector methodology by establishing the evaluative criterion for retrospective interpretation, working with
Retrospective Logic to distinguish authentic from inauthentic theological reasoning. This method provides essential diagnostic tools for identifying theological mutations like
Primitive Biblicism,
Binary Apocalypticism, and
Practical Atheism by testing their consistency with Scripture’s own interpretive center.