Table Of ContentLeif Svensson
A Theology for the Bildungsbürgertum
Theologische Bibliothek
Töpelmann
Edited by
Bruce McCormack, Friederike Nüssel
and Christoph Schwöbel
Volume 189
Leif Svensson
A Theology for the
Bildungsbürgertum
Albrecht Ritschl in Context
ISBN 978-3-11-062559-2
e-ISBN (PDF) 978-3-11-062626-1
e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-3-11-062646-9
ISSN 0563-4288
Library of Congress Control Number: 2020931426
Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie;
Detailed bibliographic data are available in the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de.
© 2020 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston
Frontispiece image: Albrecht Ritschl around 1880,
used by permission of AKG/TT Nyhetsbyrån
Print and binding: CPI books GmbH, Leck
www.degruyter.com
To my loving wife, Elin
Acknowledgments
Mygratitudegoesouttoallwhohaveassistedandsupportedmeinthewriting
ofthisbook.Firstofall,IwouldliketothankArneRasmussonforinspiringand
encouragingmeovertheyears,firstduringmyundergraduatestudiesandlater
onasmysupervisor.IhavegreatlybenefitedfromArne’sbreadthofknowledge
and understanding, and his support, advice, and constructive criticism have
been invaluable to this study.
I am also very grateful to my assistant supervisors, Thomas Girmalm and
MatsWahlberg,whohavebeenmostgenerouswiththeirtimeandsupport.Tho-
mas has, amongother things,helped me withvarious practical issues and pro-
videdmanyinsightfulcommentsandsuggestionsonmywork.Matshasbeenan
important conversation partner throughout, and his excellent analytical skills
andcarefulreadinghaveenabledmetoclarifyandgreatlyimprovethedifferent
arguments.
In2015–2016,IhadtheopportunitytospendthewintersemesterattheUni-
versityofTübingenasavisitingdoctoralstudent.WhileinTübingen,VolkerLep-
pin and Christoph Schwöbel read early drafts and gave me very valuable feed-
back. They also commented on the entire manuscript at a late stage in the
process. I am greatly indebted to their expertise and their most helpful sugges-
tions.
Drafts of this book have been discussed in Leppin’s research seminar in
church history at the University of Tübingen, in the ethics seminar at Uppsala
University, twice in the Swedish Research School in systematic theology, and
alsoonseveraloccasionsintheresearchseminarinreligiousstudiesandtheol-
ogyatUmeåUniversity.Ihavebenefitedfromthehelpfulcommentsbythepar-
ticipants in these seminars. I especially thank Tord Larsson and David Wilje-
brandfortheirclosereadingofdifferentdraftsandtheirperceptiveobservations.
Completing the presentworkwouldhave been impossible without myfam-
ily,whichisaconstantsourceofjoyandlove.Iamforeverindebttomybeloved
wifeElin.Ourchildren,ErlingandHjalmar,werebornafterIstartedmydoctoral
studies. Not only has Elin carried a heavy burden in order for me to finish this
project, she has also encouraged me along the way.This book is dedicated to
Elin.
IamalsoverythankfultomymotherHilleviforherinvaluablesupportand
wisdom.AndIthankmysistersChristinaandElisabethfortheirencouragement.
Mymother-in-lawandfather-in-law,KerstinandKjell,deserveaspecialthanks.
They have helped and supported me and Elin in innumerable ways during the
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110626261-001
VIII Acknowledgments
yearsIhavebeenworkingwiththisbook.Ialsothankmysister-in-lawJohanna
and brother-in-law Josef for their support.
My research has been financially supported, in addition to the Faculty of
Arts and Humanities at Umeå University, by the following foundations: Helge
Ax:son Johnsons stiftelse, Sixten Gemzéus stiftelse, Stiftelsen Lars Hiertas
Minne, and Teologifonden.
Contents
Introduction 1
An Exercise in Historical Theology 3
Ritschl’s Nineteenth-Century Context 6
. The De-Christianization of the Bildungsbürgertum 6
. Historical Criticism, Materialism, and Anti-Lutheran Polemics 8
Ritschl and the Question of Kulturprotestantismus 12
The Organization of the Study 16
Part I: History
A New Turn in Historical Criticism 25
. Historicism 25
. Ranke and the Historical School 31
.. Introduction 31
.. Controversies with Hegel’s Philosophical School 38
. The Tübingen School 43
.. Strauss’ Das Leben Jesu 43
.. Baur’s Historical Method 53
.. An Overview of the Tübingen School 62
Ritschl’s Emancipation from the Tübingen School 64
. Under the Spell of Baur 65
. Die Entstehung der altkatholischen Kirche 68
.. The First Edition 68
.. The Second Edition 72
. The Controversy with Zeller 78
.. Introduction 78
.. The Question of Miracles 80
.. Philosophy and History 83
.. Connections to Historicism 88
. Lebensideal asa Category of Historical Analysis 94
Ritschl and the Quest for the Historical Jesus 102
. Reimarus and the Original Quest 102
. Ritschl’s Historical Jesus 109
.. Theology and Biblical Interpretation 109
X Contents
.. Christ’s Person and Work 115
. The Apocalyptic Criticism of Weiss and Schweitzer 122
Part II: Metaphysics
Scientific Materialism and Late Idealism 137
. Anthropological Materialism 137
. Scientific Materialism 145
. The Materialism Controversy 151
. Late Idealism 158
.. Introduction 158
.. Lotze’s Philosophy 161
Ritschl’s Late Idealist Metaphysics 171
. The Question of Lotze’s Influence 172
. Theory of Religion 176
. Epistemology 180
. Value Judgments 186
. Criticism of Materialism 194
Ritschl’s Rejection of Classical Metaphysical Theology 200
. Classical Metaphysical Theology 200
. Natural Theology 203
. The Doctrine of the Incarnation 210
Part III: Ethics
The Values of the Bildungsbürgertum 221
. Autonomy, Bildung, Culture, Work, and Love 221
. A Conservativeand Nationalist Turn 229
Ritschl’s Controversy with Lagarde 236
. The Larger Historical Context 237
. Lagarde’s Anti-Lutheran Polemics 239
. Ritschl’s Festival Address on Luther 242
. Luther and Modernity after Ritschl 247
