Franz Bibfeldt
Encyclopedia
Franz Bibfeldt is a famous, fictitious theologian
and in-joke among American academic theologians.
Bibfeldt made his first appearance as the author of an invented footnote in a term paper of a Concordia Seminary
student, Robert Howard Clausen. Clausen's classmate, Martin Marty was struck by the name and Bibfeldt became a running joke for Martin and his friends. In 1951, Marty's review of Bibfeldt's The Relieved Paradox was published in the Concordia Seminarian.
Since then Bibfeldt scholarship has greatly expanded, though the preponderance of work has come out of the University of Chicago
where Marty was professor and where there is a Donnelley Stool of Bibfeldt Studies.
Most of the scholarship to date is collected in The Unrelieved Paradox: Studies in the Theology of Franz Bibfeldt (ISBN 0-8028-0745-3) edited by Marty and Jerald C. Brauer.
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and in-joke among American academic theologians.
Bibfeldt made his first appearance as the author of an invented footnote in a term paper of a Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary
Concordia Seminary is located in Clayton, Missouri, an inner-ring suburb on the western border of St. Louis, Missouri. The institution's primary mission is to train pastors, deaconesses, missionaries, chaplains, and church leaders for the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod . The current president of...
student, Robert Howard Clausen. Clausen's classmate, Martin Marty was struck by the name and Bibfeldt became a running joke for Martin and his friends. In 1951, Marty's review of Bibfeldt's The Relieved Paradox was published in the Concordia Seminarian.
Since then Bibfeldt scholarship has greatly expanded, though the preponderance of work has come out of the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
where Marty was professor and where there is a Donnelley Stool of Bibfeldt Studies.
Most of the scholarship to date is collected in The Unrelieved Paradox: Studies in the Theology of Franz Bibfeldt (ISBN 0-8028-0745-3) edited by Marty and Jerald C. Brauer.