The “Biblical Context” of Christoph Hein

The article examines a typological feature of the artistic world of the German writer Christoph Hein, whose works are distinguished by a peculiar “biblical context”. Basing the research on Hein's earlier works, the authors analyze bibleisms – quotations from the Bible, which present signs-symbols, and define their artistic function consisting in manifestation of aesthetic information. The analysis of bibleisms reveals the motif structure of Hein's works, namely the biblical motifs of the Fall, continuity, punishment, suffering, humility, sacrifice and silence. The present work also aims to interpret the biblical image of Noah and to study the influence of the Bible on Hein's poetic manner. The “biblical context”, which presents an intertextual element of poetic style, actualizes and forms the artistic meaning, defines the structural and stylistic characteristics of the writer's works.