David Strauss

David Friedrich Strauss (January 27, 1808 – February 8, 1874), was a German theologian and writer.

Related Topics:
January 27 - 1808 - February 8 - 1874 - German - Theologian

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He was born at Ludwigsburg, near Stuttgart. At twelve he was sent to the evangelical seminary at Blaubeuren, near Ulm, to be prepared for the study of theology. Amongst the principal masters in the school were Professors Kern and FC Baur, who taught their pupils a deep love of the ancient classics and the principles of textual criticism, which could be applied to texts in the sacred tradition as well as to classical ones. In 1825, Strauss entered the University of Tübingen. The professors of philosophy there failed to interest him, but he was strongly attracted by the writings of Schleiermacher. In 1830 he became assistant to a country clergyman, and nine months later accepted the post of professor in the high school at Maulbronn, where he would teach Latin, history and Hebrew.

Related Topics:
Ludwigsburg - Stuttgart - Ulm - FC Baur - 1825 - University of Tübingen - Philosophy - Schleiermacher - Latin - Hebrew

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In October 1831 he resigned his office in order to study under Schleiermacher and Georg Hegel in Berlin. Hegel died just as he arrived, and, though he regularly attended Schleiermacher's lectures, it was only those on the life of Jesus that exercised a very powerful influence upon him. It was amongst the followers of Hegel that he found kindred spirits. Under the leading of Hegel's distinction, between Vorstellung and Begriff, he had already conceived the ideas found in his two principal theological works: the Leben Jesu ("Life of Jesus") and the Christliche Dogmatik ("Christian Dogma"). In 1832 he returned to Tübingen, lecturing on logic, Plato, the history of philosophy and ethics with great success. However, in the autumn of 1833 he resigned this position in order to devote all his time to the completion of his Leben Jesu. It was published in 1835, when he was 27 years old.

Related Topics:
1831 - Georg Hegel - Berlin - Jesus - 1832 - Logic - Plato - Ethics - 1833

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