What Does "Deliver Us From Evil" Mean? Exegetic and Systematic Reflections on the Seventh Request of the Lord's Prayer

According to the research of historical criticism the spectrum of meaning of the seventh request of the Lord's Prayer is broader than usually assumed.The request cannot be morally deciphered, its background is the existential experience of a power of evil, of suffering and harm as an experience preceding individual decision.This article develops exegetic and systematic perspectives on the understanding of the prayer "Deliver us from evil" and gives insights on the problem of theodicy, suggesting a responsible concept of the hope for God's saving action.