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'''Albrecht Ritschl''' (March 25, 1822 - March 20, 1889) was a [[Germany|German]] [[theology|theologian]].
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[[Image:Luke 9 - 47 jesus took a child.jpg|thumb|250px|For Ritschl, the religion that Jesus lived in his daily life was more important than creeds or doctrines about Jesus.]]
  
Ritschl was for many people the epitome of Protestant liberalism, living at a time when historical criticism of the Bible made great advances and the Christian church had to cope with the problems of industrialism and a potentially revolutionary proletariat. For many years Ritschl was the most renowned theologian in Europe. He established an influential theological movement that exerted serious ecclesiastical influence. Not primarily a preacher or a philosopher, his fame resisted mainly on his abilities as a professor and churchman.
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'''Albrecht Ritschl''' (March 25, 1822 - March 20, 1889) was a [[Germany|German]] [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] [[theology|theologian]] and one of the great teachers of the liberal [[Protestantism|Protestant]] tradition. He created a [[systematic theology]] that emphasized the [[morality|moral]] nature of [[religion]] as opposed to [[doctrine]], following [[Kant]]'s view of religion. He also stressed the religion practiced by [[Jesus]] himself as distinct from teachings ''about'' Jesus, such as the [[Trinity]] and the [[Incarnation]].
  
Ritschl awakened in his pupils an intense confidence and joy about their work as preachers. His own religious and moral spirit enabled them to renew their faith in a time deep skepticism about religion. Ritschl stressed moral experience, in contrast to the mystical experience emphasized by [[Friedrich Schleiermacher]], whose teachings Ritschl studied. Where Schleiermacher stressed the worship of God in nature, Ritschl emphasized reforming the world in practical ways.
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Ritschl was for many people the epitome of Protestant liberalism, living at a time when [[Biblical Criticism|historical criticism of the Bible]] made great advances and the [[Christianity|Christian]] [[church]] had to cope with the problems of [[industrialization]] and a potentially revolutionary proletariat. For many years he was the most renowned [[theology|theologian]] in [[Europe]], and the so-called "Ritschlian era" of 40 years between the publication of the third volume of his major work ''The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation'' (1874) and the outbreak of [[World War I]] (1914) dominated German theology. His influence still continues to be felt today.  
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Although Ritschl has not been without critics, his efforts to reach the original [[New Testament]] message of the religion of Jesus, by following Kant's moral way of integrating between [[Pietism]] ([[theism]]) and the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] ([[humanism]]), are commendable.
  
 
==Biography==
 
==Biography==
Ritschl was born in [[Berlin]]. His father, Georg Karl Benjamin Ritschl (1783-1858), became the pastor of the church of St. Mary in Berlin 1810, and from 1827 to 1854 was general superintendent and Evangelical [[bishop]] of Pomerania. Albrecht thus grew up in an atmosphere dominated by the spirit of the Lutheran Church, which stressed the centrality of family morality and Reformation spirituality. Fellowship with God, trust in divine providence, patience, and cheerful moral striving were hallmarks of his childhood education.
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Ritschl was born in [[Berlin]]. His father, Georg Karl Benjamin Ritschl (1783-1858), became the [[pastor]] of the Church of St. Mary in Berlin 1810, and from 1827 to 1854 was general superintendent and Evangelical [[bishop]] of Pomerania. Albrecht thus grew up in an atmosphere dominated by the spirit of the [[Lutheranism|Lutheran Church]], which stressed the centrality of [[family]] [[morality]] and [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] spirituality. Fellowship with [[God]], trust in divine [[providence]], [[patience]], and cheerful moral striving were hallmarks of his childhood [[education]].
  
By the age of 17, Ritschl was urgently committed to a theological vocation. He studied at [[university of Bonn|Bonn]], [[university of Halle|Halle]], [[university of Heidelberg|Heidelberg]] and [[university of Tübingen|Tübingen]]. At Halle he came under [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Hegelian]] influences, especially that of the church historian F.C. Bauer. He wrote on the relationship between the teachings of the heretic [[Marcion]] and the [[Gospel of Luke]] in 1841, and his most important work of this period is considered to be his book on the origins of the [[Old Catholic Church]] in 1850.  
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By the age of 17, Ritschl was urgently committed to a [[theology|theological]] vocation. He studied at Bonn, Halle, Heidelberg, and Tübingen. At Halle he came under [[Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel|Hegelian]] influences, especially that of the church [[history|historian]] F.C. Bauer. He wrote on the relationship between the teachings of the [[heresy|heretic]] [[Marcion]] and the [[Gospel of Luke]] in 1841, and his most important work of this period is considered to be his book ''Die Entstehung der altkatholischen Kirche (The Origin of the Old Catholic Church)'' in 1850.
  
Ritschl's greatest impact, however, came as a teacher. He was professor of theology at Bonn from 1852-64, concentrating on New Testament studies and later on systematic theology. He move to the [[university of Göttingen|Yniversity of Göttingen]] from 1864-74. Here, he attracted a notable group of disciples who themselves went on to became influential teachers, among them [[Julius Kaftan]] and [[Adolf Harnack]].
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[[Image:Goettingen-university.png|thumb|250px|Old Auditorium at the University of Göttingen]]
  
During this time Ritschl wrote a three-volume work on the Christian doctrine of justification and atonement, ''Die Christliche Lehre von der Rechtfertigung und Versöhnung'', published during the years 1870-74. These work contains his basic theological views and is considered a classic of systematic theology. In 1882-86 he wrote a major history of pietism ''(Die Geschichte des Pietismus)''.
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During the period in which he was professor of theology at Bonn from 1852-1864, however, he abandoned Hegelianism in favor of [[Kant|Kantianism]] and the theology of [[Friedrich Schleiermacher|Schleiermacher]]. In 1864 he moved to the University of Göttingen, where he associated with R.H. Lotze, an early exponent of "value philosophy," getting even closer to Kantianism. At Göttingen, Ritschl's reputation as a great teacher was established, attracting a notable group of disciples who themselves went on to became influential teachers, among them [[Julius Kaftan]] and [[Adolf Harnack]]. During this time Ritschl wrote a three-volume work ''Die Christliche Lehre von der Rechtfertigung und Versöhnung (The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation),'' published during the years 1870-1874. This monumental work contains his basic theological views and is considered a classic of [[systematic theology]]. In 1882-1886 he wrote a major history of [[Pietism]] ''(Die Geschichte des Pietismus).'' Here, he argued against Pietism's emphasis on individual righteousness, stressing instead the idea of moral development in the context of community.
  
Ritschl's theology rests on the Kantian theory of knowledge. He rejected theoretical knowledge in favor of practical reason and held that religion must not be reduced to a speculate science. In other words, religion is not about abstract ideas, but moral imperatives. Value judgments are at the very core of both religion and theology. God's inner nature is beyond human comprehension, but moral reality is not.  
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He died at Göttingen on March 20, 1889 of a heart attack at the age of 66. His son, Otto Ritschl was also a theologian.
  
Thus, for Ritschl, true Christianity is not about creeds and dogmas such as the attributes of God, the nature of the Trinity, or the definition of the "two natures" of Christ. A new theology must be promulgated dealing with the practical moral realities experienced by Christians: the ethics of the the Kingdom of God. For Ritschl, the goal was a "theology without metaphysics."
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==Theology==
 
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Ritschl tried to carry forward the "unfinished Reformation" of the sixteenth century,<ref>David W. Lotz, "Albrecht Ritschl and the Unfinished Reformation," ''The Harvard Theological Review'' 73 (1980): 337-372.</ref> by clarifying what he thought to be the genuine ideas of the [[Protestant Reformation|Reformation]] and also by salvaging the original [[New Testament]] message from Protestant orthodoxy's distortions and also from the later confusions created by various schools such as [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]], [[Pietism]], [[Friedrich Schleiermacher|Schleiermacher]]'s theology, and [[Hegel|Hegelianism]]. For Ritschl, [[religion]] is entirely a practical matter. It is neither subjective feeling, as with Schleiermacher, nor speculative knowledge, as with Hegel. Nor does it have anything to do with Protestant orthodoxy's dogmatism, the Enlightenment's humanistic [[rationalism]], or Pietism's emotionalism. Ritschl's project, therefore, was a reconstruction of [[theology]] in an [[Kant|Kantian]] way. It followed Kant's approach of synthesis between Pietism ([[theism]]) and the Enlightenment ([[humanism]]) through their [[morality|moral]] commonality: mature moral [[autonomy]] of the self. However, it was not a complete copy of Kant. It did not subordinate religion to morality as Kant did in terms of the categorical imperative. For Ritschl, religion still has its genuine objectives and incentives such as [[justification]] and [[reconciliation]] for the [[kingdom of God]] on earth.  
Ritschl claimed that God revealed himself in the life and work of Jesus. By calling God "Father," Jesus showed that God is personal and has both love and will who cares for humans as His children. The fulfillment of God's will is the realization of His kingdom, as demonstrated by Jesus in the Lord's prayer. He emphasized that Christians must return to the religion "of" Jesus, not the religion "about" Jesus which evolved after his death. Emphasizing Jesus' moral example rather than his divinity per se, Ritschl denied the doctrine of the Virgin Birth and the Incarnation. Yet, Jesus perfectly revealed God to humans.
 
 
 
Ritschl also criticized the traditional doctrine of original sin. He held that we should not compare our own moral standing to a theoretical ideal of Adam before the Fall, but to the practical example shown by Jesus, the second Adam. Sin, defined as a break in our relationship with God, results not from fallen nature or the influence of the devil, but from ignorance. God does not hate sinners, but we naturally feel fearful an guilty when we violate our consciences and thus feel separate from God.  
 
 
 
While mainstream Protestant theology may not go as far as Ritschl did in these ideas, his teaching resulted in many Christian leaders and believers agreeing with the conclusion that salvation is best understood in terms of God's love rather than His justice. In other words, salvation is not primarily a matter of justification (based on law) but reconciliation (base on love).
 
  
He died at [[Göttingen]] of a heart attack at the age of 66. His son, [[Otto Ritschl (theologian)|Otto Ritschl]], was also a theologian.
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Accepting Kant's criticism of the claims of "pure reason" and recognizing the value of morally conditioned [[knowledge]], Ritschl favored "practical reason" and held that religion must not be reduced to a speculate [[science]]. In other words, true religion is not about abstract ideas or rigorous intellectual constructs, but about moral values. Value judgments, which morally judge things through their qualities and valuable effects on us, are at the very core of both religion and theology. So, [[God]]'s existence, for example, cannot be known except through value judgments, i.e., except through the moral effects of God on us: "Apart from this value-judgment of faith, there exists no knowledge of God worthy of this content."<ref>Albrecht Ritschl. ''The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation: The Positive Development of the Doctrine,'' trans. H.R. Mackintosh, and A.B. Macaulay. (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2004), 212.</ref> Thus, the traditional ontological, cosmological, and teleological [[God's existence|arguments for God's existence]] do not work. Also, true [[Christianity]] is not about [[creed]]s and [[dogma]]s such as the attributes of God, the nature of the [[Trinity]], or the definition of the "two natures" (divine and human) of [[Christ]]. A new theology must be promulgated dealing with the practical moral realities experienced by Christians: the [[ethics]] of the [[kingdom of God]]. For Ritschl, the goal was a "theology without metaphysics."
  
==Theology==
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According to Ritschl, even the [[historical Jesus]] cannot be truly understood except through value judgments. We can never know who he was through the bare facts of the original [[Jesus]] deprived of the effects he has produced upon members of the Christian community both in the past and present. So, historical positivism does not work, while at the same time any idealized view of Jesus that subjectively neglects history does not work, either. In the life and work of Jesus, as understood through value judgments, God revealed himself most fully. By calling God "Father," Jesus showed that God is personal and has both [[love]] and will. God thus cares for [[human]]s as his children. The fulfillment of God's will is the realization of his kingdom, as demonstrated by Jesus in the Lord's prayer: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Ritschl insisted that Christians must return to the religion "of" Jesus, not the religion "about" Jesus which evolved after his death. Emphasizing Jesus' moral example rather than his divinity per se, Ritschl denied the doctrine of the [[Virgin Birth]] and the [[Incarnation]]. Yet, he believed that Jesus perfectly revealed God to humans.  
Ritschl saw himself as carrying on the work of [[Martin Luther|Luther]] and [[Schleiermacher]], especially in ridding faith of the tyranny of [[scholastic philosophy]]. His system shows the influence of Kant's criticism of the claims of [[Critique of Pure Reason|Pure Reason]] and a recognition of the value of morally conditioned knowledge. Schleiermacher's historical treatment of Christianity, regulative use of the idea of religious fellowship, emphasis on the importance of religious feeling; and of [[Lotze]]'s theory of knowledge and treatment of personality. Ritschl's work made a profound impression on German thought and gave a new confidence to German theology, while at the same time it provoked a storm of hostile criticism: his school has grown with remarkable rapidity. This is perhaps mainly due to the bold religious positivism with which he assumes that spiritual experience is real and that faith has not only a legitimate but even a paramount claim to provide the highest interpretation of the world. The life of trust in [[God]] is a fact, not so much to be explained as to explain everything else. Ritschl's standpoint is not that of the individual subject. The objective ground on which he bases his system is the religious experience of the Christian community. The "immediate object of theological knowledge is the faith of the community," and from this positive religious datum theology constructs a "total view of the world and human life." Thus the essence of Ritschl's work is systematic theology. Nor does he painfully work up to his master-category, for it is given in the knowledge of [[Jesus]] revealed to the community. That God is love and that the purpose of His love is the moral organization I of humanity in the "Kingdom of God" &ndash; this idea, with its immense range of application-is applied in Ritschl's initial datum.
 
  
From this vantage-ground Ritschl criticizes the use of [[Aristotelianism]] and speculative philosophy in scholastic and [[Protestant]] theology, He holds that such [[philosophy]] is too shallow for theology. Hegelianism attempts to squeeze all life into the categories of [[logic]]: Aristotelianism deals with "things in general" and ignores the radical distinction between nature and spirit. Neither Hegelianism nor Aristotelianism is "vital" enough to sound the depths of religious life. Neither conceives God "as correlative to human trust " (cf. ''Theologie und Metaphysik''). But Ritschl's recoil carries him so far that he is left alone with merely "practical" experience. "Faith" knows God in His active relation to the kingdom," but not at all as "self-existent."
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Ritschl also criticized the traditional doctrine of [[Original Sin|original sin]]. He held that we should not compare our own moral standing to a theoretical ideal of [[Adam]] before the [[Human fall|Fall]], but to the practical ethical example shown by Jesus, the "second Adam." [[Sin]], which Ritschl defined as a break in our relationship with God, results not from fallen nature or the influence of the [[devil]], but from ignorance. The work of Christ has two things: justification (the [[forgiveness]] of sin) and reconciliation (new life in fellowship with God). They are inseparable from each other in that they both have the personal involvement of the believer. We have benefited this redemptive work of Christ because God was active in Christ, who in turn showed unbroken trust in him on the cross. This constitutes a version of the so-called "moral influence theory" of redemption.
  
His limitation of theological knowledge to the bounds of human need might, if logically pressed, run perilously near [[phenomenalism]]; and his epistemology ("we only know things in their activities") does not cover this weakness. In seeking ultimate reality in the circle of "active conscious sensation," he rules out all "metaphysic." Indeed, much that is part of normal Christian faith—e.g. the Eternity of the Son—is passed over as beyond the range of his method. Ritschl's theory of "value-judgments" ''(Werthurtheile)'' illustrates this form of [[agnosticism]]. Religious judgments of value determine objects according to their bearing on our moral and spiritual welfare. They imply a lively sense of radical human need. This sort of knowledge stands quite apart from that produced by "theoretic" and "disinterested" judgments. The former moves in a world of "values," and judges things as they are related to our "fundamental self-feeling." The latter moves in a world of cause and effect. (N.B. Ritschl appears to confine Metaphysic to the category of Causality.)
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The essence of Ritschl's work is [[systematic theology]]. Yet he believed this is not the work of trained theologians alone, for it is easily perceived in the knowledge of the historical Jesus revealed to the community. By following Jesus' example and living a truly moral life, even the simplest Christian is behaving theologically. His bold religious positivism showed that spiritual experience, understood as a morally lived life, is absolutely real. A life of trust in God is a fact, not so much to ''be'' explained as ''to explain'' everything else.
  
The theory as formulated has such grave ambiguities, that his theology, which, as we have seen, is wholly based on uncompromising religious [[Philosophical realism|realism]], has actually been charged with individualistic [[metaphysical subjectivism|subjectivism]]. If Ritschl had clearly shown that judgments of value enfold and transform other types of knowledge, just as the "spiritual man" includes and transfigures but does not annihilate the "natural man," then within the compass of this spiritually conditioned knowledge all other knowledge would be seen to have a function and a home. The theory of value-judgments is part too of his ultra-practical tendency: both "metaphysic" and "mysticism" are ruthlessly condemned. Faith-knowledge appears to be wrenched from its bearings and suspended in mid-ocean. Perhaps if he had lived to see the progress of will-psychology he might have welcomed the hope of a more spiritual philosophy.
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==Legacy==
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Ritschl's teachings challenged [[theology|theological]] conservatism by emphasizing [[morality|moral]] experience over theological correctness. His theory of [[salvation]] stressed the importance of moral effects [[Christ]] produced on believers through the [[cross]]. Thus, Ritschl made [[Christianity]] a [[faith]] to be lived in one's moral and community life rather than through [[metaphysics|metaphysical]] speculation or [[church]] [[ritual]]. While mainstream [[Protestantism|Protestant]] theology did not go as far as Ritschl did in rejecting traditional theological ideas, his influence as a theologian was unequaled in his day and his work made a profound impression on, and gave a new confidence to, Protestant thought in [[Germany]]. The publication of his major work ''The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation,'' especially of its third volume in 1874, marked the beginning of the "Ritschlian era" that dominated German theology through [[World War I]]. His positive theology was severely challenged by humanity's tragic experiences of the horrors of the two World Wars, but ideas that he boldly pioneered are now commonplace. His contribution to [[systematic theology]] and his basic proposition—that Christianity is to be lived through a moral commitment to realize [[kingdom of God|God's kingdom]] in community—make him one of giants of modern theology, whose influence continues to be felt today.
  
A few instances will illustrate Ritschl's positive systematic theology. The conception of God as Father is given to the community in Revelation. He must be regarded in His active relationship to the "kingdom," as spiritual personality revealed in spiritual purposiveness. His "Love" is His will as directed towards the realization of His purpose in the kingdom. His "Righteousness" is His fidelity to this purpose. With God as "First Cause" or "Moral Legislator" theology has no concern; nor is it interested in the speculative problems indicated by the traditional doctrine of the Trinity. "Natural theology" has no value save where it leans on faith. Again, Christ has for the religious life of the community the unique value of Founder and Redeemer. He is the perfect Revelation of God and the Exemplar of true religion. His work in founding the kingdom was a personal vocation, the spirit of which He communicates to believers, "thus, as exalted king," sustaining the life of His Kingdom. His Resurrection is a necessary part of Christian belief ([[Gustav Ecke|G Ecke]], pp. 198-99). "Divinity" is a predicate applied by faith to Jesus in His founding and redeeming activity. We note here that though Ritschl gives Jesus a unique and unapproachable position in His active relation to the kingdom, he declines to rise above this relative teaching. The "Two Nature" problem and the eternal relation' of the Son to the Father have no bearing on experience, and therefore stand outside the range of theology.
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The theology of Ritschl is often critiqued for its [[Kant]]ian bias. But, understanding the [[history|historical]] significance of Kant can perhaps explain why the theology of Ritschl was influential and still continues to be so today. Kant, given the impasse of a conflict between the different schools of thought such as [[Pietism]] and the [[Age of Enlightenment|Enlightenment]] in the eighteenth century, decided that religion is morality based on practical reason, and his decision constituted a significant breakthrough because it was able to synthesize Pietism ([[theism]]) and the Enlightenment ([[humanism]]) by referring to moral [[autonomy]] within the human self as their commonality. "With Kant only" the eighteenth century came to "an understanding of itself—but of itself in its limitations," and in this sense he stood "at the turning-point of his age."<ref>Karl Barth. ''Protestant Thought: From Rousseau to Ritschl,'' trans. Brian Cozens. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1969), 150.</ref> Ritschl, aware of the importance of this Kantian divine-human synthesis on the ground of morality, used it to carry forward the "unfinished Reformation." Although many critics including [[Karl Barth]] have argued that this Kantian/Ritschlian synthesis failed because it eventually ended up breaking the balance of synthesis, leaning more toward humanism, the original intention of Ritschl for this kind of synthesis needs to be much appreciated.
  
Once more, in the doctrine of sin and redemption, the governing idea is God's fatherly purpose for His family. Sin is the contradiction of that purpose, and guilt is alienation from the family. Redemption, justification, regeneration, adoption, forgiveness, reconciliation all mean the same thing-the restoration of the I broken family relationship. All depends on the Mediation of Christ, who maintained the filial relationship even to His death, and communicates it to the brotherhood of believers. Everything Is defined by the idea of the family. The whole apparatus of "forensic" ideas (law, punishment, satisfaction, etc.) is summarily rejected as foreign to God's purpose of love, Ritschl is so faithful to the standpoint of the religious community, that he has nothing definite to say on many inevitable Questions, such as the relation of God to pagan races. His school, in which [[Wilhelm Herrmann]], [[Julius Kaftan]] and [[Adolf Harnack]] are the chief names, diverges from his teaching in many directions; e.g. Kaftan appreciates the mystical side of religion, Harnack's criticism is very different from Ritschl's arbitrary exegesis. They are united on the value of faith knowledge as opposed to "metaphysic."
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==Notes==
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<references/>
  
 
==References==
 
==References==
{{reflist}}
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*Barth, Karl. ''Protestant Thought: From Rousseau to Ritschl, trans. Brian Cozens.'' New York: Simon and Schuster, 1969. ISBN 0671202928
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*Jodock, Darrell. ''Ritschl in Retrospect: History, Community, and Science.'' Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995. ISBN 9780800626068
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*Kim, Young Oon. ''The Types of Modern Theology.'' New York: Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, 1983. ISBN 9780910621328
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*Lotz, David W. "Albrecht Ritschl and the Unfinished Reformation." ''The Harvard Theological Review'' 73 (1980): 337-372
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*Marsh, Clive. ''Albrecht Ritschl and the Problem of the Historical Jesus.'' San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992. ISBN 9780773498228
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*McCulloh, Gerald W. ''Christ's Person and Life-Work in the Theology of Albrecht Ritschl.'' Lanham [Md.]: University Press of America, 1990. ISBN 9780819178855
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*Mueller, David L. ''An Introduction to the Theology of Albrecht Ritschl.'' Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1969. ISBN 9780664208738
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*Ritschl, Albrecht. ''The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation: The Positive Development of the Doctrine,'' Translated by H.R. Mackintosh, and A.B. Macaulay. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2004. ISBN 1592448070 
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*Ritschl, Albrecht. ''Three Essays: Theology and Metaphysics; Prolegomena to the History of Pietism; Instruction in the Christian Religion,'' Translated by Philip J. Hefner. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1597520349
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*{{1911}}
 
*{{1911}}
*This article is partly based on the essay on Ritschl in ''Types of Modern Theology'' by Young Oon Kim.
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*''This article is partly based on the essay on Ritschl in ''The Types of Modern Theology'' by Young Oon Kim (1983).''
 
 
==Other==
 
*In his autobiography, ''[[Memories, Dreams, Reflections]]'' (1963), [[Carl Jung]] wrote that Ritschl's theology "irritated me, especially the comparison with a railway train" (p.91) ISBN 0-679-72395-1.
 
  
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritschl, Albrecht}}
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritschl, Albrecht}}

Latest revision as of 21:02, 18 February 2019

For Ritschl, the religion that Jesus lived in his daily life was more important than creeds or doctrines about Jesus.

Albrecht Ritschl (March 25, 1822 - March 20, 1889) was a German Lutheran theologian and one of the great teachers of the liberal Protestant tradition. He created a systematic theology that emphasized the moral nature of religion as opposed to doctrine, following Kant's view of religion. He also stressed the religion practiced by Jesus himself as distinct from teachings about Jesus, such as the Trinity and the Incarnation.

Ritschl was for many people the epitome of Protestant liberalism, living at a time when historical criticism of the Bible made great advances and the Christian church had to cope with the problems of industrialization and a potentially revolutionary proletariat. For many years he was the most renowned theologian in Europe, and the so-called "Ritschlian era" of 40 years between the publication of the third volume of his major work The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation (1874) and the outbreak of World War I (1914) dominated German theology. His influence still continues to be felt today.

Although Ritschl has not been without critics, his efforts to reach the original New Testament message of the religion of Jesus, by following Kant's moral way of integrating between Pietism (theism) and the Enlightenment (humanism), are commendable.

Biography

Ritschl was born in Berlin. His father, Georg Karl Benjamin Ritschl (1783-1858), became the pastor of the Church of St. Mary in Berlin 1810, and from 1827 to 1854 was general superintendent and Evangelical bishop of Pomerania. Albrecht thus grew up in an atmosphere dominated by the spirit of the Lutheran Church, which stressed the centrality of family morality and Reformation spirituality. Fellowship with God, trust in divine providence, patience, and cheerful moral striving were hallmarks of his childhood education.

By the age of 17, Ritschl was urgently committed to a theological vocation. He studied at Bonn, Halle, Heidelberg, and Tübingen. At Halle he came under Hegelian influences, especially that of the church historian F.C. Bauer. He wrote on the relationship between the teachings of the heretic Marcion and the Gospel of Luke in 1841, and his most important work of this period is considered to be his book Die Entstehung der altkatholischen Kirche (The Origin of the Old Catholic Church) in 1850.

Old Auditorium at the University of Göttingen

During the period in which he was professor of theology at Bonn from 1852-1864, however, he abandoned Hegelianism in favor of Kantianism and the theology of Schleiermacher. In 1864 he moved to the University of Göttingen, where he associated with R.H. Lotze, an early exponent of "value philosophy," getting even closer to Kantianism. At Göttingen, Ritschl's reputation as a great teacher was established, attracting a notable group of disciples who themselves went on to became influential teachers, among them Julius Kaftan and Adolf Harnack. During this time Ritschl wrote a three-volume work Die Christliche Lehre von der Rechtfertigung und Versöhnung (The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation), published during the years 1870-1874. This monumental work contains his basic theological views and is considered a classic of systematic theology. In 1882-1886 he wrote a major history of Pietism (Die Geschichte des Pietismus). Here, he argued against Pietism's emphasis on individual righteousness, stressing instead the idea of moral development in the context of community.

He died at Göttingen on March 20, 1889 of a heart attack at the age of 66. His son, Otto Ritschl was also a theologian.

Theology

Ritschl tried to carry forward the "unfinished Reformation" of the sixteenth century,[1] by clarifying what he thought to be the genuine ideas of the Reformation and also by salvaging the original New Testament message from Protestant orthodoxy's distortions and also from the later confusions created by various schools such as Enlightenment, Pietism, Schleiermacher's theology, and Hegelianism. For Ritschl, religion is entirely a practical matter. It is neither subjective feeling, as with Schleiermacher, nor speculative knowledge, as with Hegel. Nor does it have anything to do with Protestant orthodoxy's dogmatism, the Enlightenment's humanistic rationalism, or Pietism's emotionalism. Ritschl's project, therefore, was a reconstruction of theology in an Kantian way. It followed Kant's approach of synthesis between Pietism (theism) and the Enlightenment (humanism) through their moral commonality: mature moral autonomy of the self. However, it was not a complete copy of Kant. It did not subordinate religion to morality as Kant did in terms of the categorical imperative. For Ritschl, religion still has its genuine objectives and incentives such as justification and reconciliation for the kingdom of God on earth.

Accepting Kant's criticism of the claims of "pure reason" and recognizing the value of morally conditioned knowledge, Ritschl favored "practical reason" and held that religion must not be reduced to a speculate science. In other words, true religion is not about abstract ideas or rigorous intellectual constructs, but about moral values. Value judgments, which morally judge things through their qualities and valuable effects on us, are at the very core of both religion and theology. So, God's existence, for example, cannot be known except through value judgments, i.e., except through the moral effects of God on us: "Apart from this value-judgment of faith, there exists no knowledge of God worthy of this content."[2] Thus, the traditional ontological, cosmological, and teleological arguments for God's existence do not work. Also, true Christianity is not about creeds and dogmas such as the attributes of God, the nature of the Trinity, or the definition of the "two natures" (divine and human) of Christ. A new theology must be promulgated dealing with the practical moral realities experienced by Christians: the ethics of the kingdom of God. For Ritschl, the goal was a "theology without metaphysics."

According to Ritschl, even the historical Jesus cannot be truly understood except through value judgments. We can never know who he was through the bare facts of the original Jesus deprived of the effects he has produced upon members of the Christian community both in the past and present. So, historical positivism does not work, while at the same time any idealized view of Jesus that subjectively neglects history does not work, either. In the life and work of Jesus, as understood through value judgments, God revealed himself most fully. By calling God "Father," Jesus showed that God is personal and has both love and will. God thus cares for humans as his children. The fulfillment of God's will is the realization of his kingdom, as demonstrated by Jesus in the Lord's prayer: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." Ritschl insisted that Christians must return to the religion "of" Jesus, not the religion "about" Jesus which evolved after his death. Emphasizing Jesus' moral example rather than his divinity per se, Ritschl denied the doctrine of the Virgin Birth and the Incarnation. Yet, he believed that Jesus perfectly revealed God to humans.

Ritschl also criticized the traditional doctrine of original sin. He held that we should not compare our own moral standing to a theoretical ideal of Adam before the Fall, but to the practical ethical example shown by Jesus, the "second Adam." Sin, which Ritschl defined as a break in our relationship with God, results not from fallen nature or the influence of the devil, but from ignorance. The work of Christ has two things: justification (the forgiveness of sin) and reconciliation (new life in fellowship with God). They are inseparable from each other in that they both have the personal involvement of the believer. We have benefited this redemptive work of Christ because God was active in Christ, who in turn showed unbroken trust in him on the cross. This constitutes a version of the so-called "moral influence theory" of redemption.

The essence of Ritschl's work is systematic theology. Yet he believed this is not the work of trained theologians alone, for it is easily perceived in the knowledge of the historical Jesus revealed to the community. By following Jesus' example and living a truly moral life, even the simplest Christian is behaving theologically. His bold religious positivism showed that spiritual experience, understood as a morally lived life, is absolutely real. A life of trust in God is a fact, not so much to be explained as to explain everything else.

Legacy

Ritschl's teachings challenged theological conservatism by emphasizing moral experience over theological correctness. His theory of salvation stressed the importance of moral effects Christ produced on believers through the cross. Thus, Ritschl made Christianity a faith to be lived in one's moral and community life rather than through metaphysical speculation or church ritual. While mainstream Protestant theology did not go as far as Ritschl did in rejecting traditional theological ideas, his influence as a theologian was unequaled in his day and his work made a profound impression on, and gave a new confidence to, Protestant thought in Germany. The publication of his major work The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation, especially of its third volume in 1874, marked the beginning of the "Ritschlian era" that dominated German theology through World War I. His positive theology was severely challenged by humanity's tragic experiences of the horrors of the two World Wars, but ideas that he boldly pioneered are now commonplace. His contribution to systematic theology and his basic proposition—that Christianity is to be lived through a moral commitment to realize God's kingdom in community—make him one of giants of modern theology, whose influence continues to be felt today.

The theology of Ritschl is often critiqued for its Kantian bias. But, understanding the historical significance of Kant can perhaps explain why the theology of Ritschl was influential and still continues to be so today. Kant, given the impasse of a conflict between the different schools of thought such as Pietism and the Enlightenment in the eighteenth century, decided that religion is morality based on practical reason, and his decision constituted a significant breakthrough because it was able to synthesize Pietism (theism) and the Enlightenment (humanism) by referring to moral autonomy within the human self as their commonality. "With Kant only" the eighteenth century came to "an understanding of itself—but of itself in its limitations," and in this sense he stood "at the turning-point of his age."[3] Ritschl, aware of the importance of this Kantian divine-human synthesis on the ground of morality, used it to carry forward the "unfinished Reformation." Although many critics including Karl Barth have argued that this Kantian/Ritschlian synthesis failed because it eventually ended up breaking the balance of synthesis, leaning more toward humanism, the original intention of Ritschl for this kind of synthesis needs to be much appreciated.

Notes

  1. David W. Lotz, "Albrecht Ritschl and the Unfinished Reformation," The Harvard Theological Review 73 (1980): 337-372.
  2. Albrecht Ritschl. The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation: The Positive Development of the Doctrine, trans. H.R. Mackintosh, and A.B. Macaulay. (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2004), 212.
  3. Karl Barth. Protestant Thought: From Rousseau to Ritschl, trans. Brian Cozens. (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1969), 150.

References
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  • Barth, Karl. Protestant Thought: From Rousseau to Ritschl, trans. Brian Cozens. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1969. ISBN 0671202928
  • Jodock, Darrell. Ritschl in Retrospect: History, Community, and Science. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1995. ISBN 9780800626068
  • Kim, Young Oon. The Types of Modern Theology. New York: Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity, 1983. ISBN 9780910621328
  • Lotz, David W. "Albrecht Ritschl and the Unfinished Reformation." The Harvard Theological Review 73 (1980): 337-372
  • Marsh, Clive. Albrecht Ritschl and the Problem of the Historical Jesus. San Francisco: Mellen Research University Press, 1992. ISBN 9780773498228
  • McCulloh, Gerald W. Christ's Person and Life-Work in the Theology of Albrecht Ritschl. Lanham [Md.]: University Press of America, 1990. ISBN 9780819178855
  • Mueller, David L. An Introduction to the Theology of Albrecht Ritschl. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1969. ISBN 9780664208738
  • Ritschl, Albrecht. The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation: The Positive Development of the Doctrine, Translated by H.R. Mackintosh, and A.B. Macaulay. Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2004. ISBN 1592448070
  • Ritschl, Albrecht. Three Essays: Theology and Metaphysics; Prolegomena to the History of Pietism; Instruction in the Christian Religion, Translated by Philip J. Hefner. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2005. ISBN 1597520349

  • This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
  • This article is partly based on the essay on Ritschl in The Types of Modern Theology by Young Oon Kim (1983).

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