Difference between revisions of "Albrecht Ritschl" - New World Encyclopedia
m (→Theology) |
m (→Biography) |
||
| Line 8: | Line 8: | ||
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. | 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 [[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 | + | 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 ''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. Here, he attracted a notable group of disciples who themselves went on to became influential teachers, among them [[Julius Kaftan]] and [[Adolf Harnack]]. | 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. Here, he attracted 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 on the Christian doctrine of justification and atonement, ''Die Christliche Lehre von der Rechtfertigung und Versöhnung'', published during the years 1870-74. | + | 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'' (The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation), published during the years 1870-74. This monumental 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)''. Here, he argued against pietism's emphasis on individual spiritual piety and stressed moral development in the context of his community. In this an other works, he laid the foundations for what would later be known as the [[Social Gospel]]. |
He died at [[Göttingen]] on March 20, 1889 of a heart attack at the age of 66. His son, [[Otto Ritschl (theologian)|Otto Ritschl]], was also a theologian. | He died at [[Göttingen]] on March 20, 1889 of a heart attack at the age of 66. His son, [[Otto Ritschl (theologian)|Otto Ritschl]], was also a theologian. | ||
Revision as of 19:57, 9 May 2008
Albrecht Ritschl (March 25, 1822 - March 20, 1889) was a German theologian. He created a systematic theology that emphasized the moral nature of religion as opposed to doctrine and popularized the idea that salvation should be understand as a matter of reconciliation (love) rather than justification (law). He also stressed the example of Jesus himself—the religion that Jesus lived out in his daily life—rather than 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 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 strong ecclesiastical influence. Not primarily a preacher or a philosopher, his fame resisted mainly on his abilities as a professor and churchman.
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 of deep skepticism about religion.
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.
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 Yniversity of Göttingen from 1864. Here, he attracted 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 on the Christian doctrine of justification and atonement, Die Christliche Lehre von der Rechtfertigung und Versöhnung (The Christian Doctrine of Justification and Reconciliation), published during the years 1870-74. This monumental 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). Here, he argued against pietism's emphasis on individual spiritual piety and stressed moral development in the context of his community. In this an other works, he laid the foundations for what would later be known as the Social Gospel.
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 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.
Ritschl saw himself as carrying on the work of 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 Pure Reason and a recognition of the value of morally conditioned knowledge. He rejected theoretical knowledge in favor of practical reason and held that religion must not be reduced to a speculate science. Neither Hegelianism nor Aristotelianism is "vital" enough to sound the depths of religious life. In other words, religion is not about abstract ideas or rigorous intellectual constructs, but about 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.
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."
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).
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 bold religious positivism showed that spiritual experience, understood as a morally live life, is absolutely real. The life of trust in God is a fact, not so much to be explained as to explain everything else.
The essence of Ritschl's work is systematic theology. Yet, 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.
Legacy
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- 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 Types of Modern Theology by Young Oon Kim.
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.
Credits
New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:
The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:
Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.
