Franz Volkmar Reinhard was a German Protestant theologian who was a native of Vohenstrauß

Vohenstrauß

Vohenstrauß is a town in Germany, located in the north-eastern part of the Bavarian region Upper Palatinate. The town is situated in the district of Neustadt . It is the birthplace of Heribert Illig.-External links:*...

.

In 1780 he became an associate professor of theology

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 philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

 at the University of Wittenberg, where he was rector

Rector

The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...

 in 1790-91. In 1792 he was appointed Oberhofprediger (first preacher) to the Saxon court in Dresden

Dresden

Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....

.

Reinhard was one of the more influential Protestant ministers of his era, and was an important representative of "enlightened theological supernaturalism". He was not opposed to contemporary rationalist thought, yet at the same time stressed the importance of divine supremacy and Biblical authority. In his sermons and lectures he attempted to establish the "truth of Lutheranism

Lutheranism

Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...

" by rational means.

Reinhard was a prominent figure regarding the Leben-Jesu-Forschung

Quest for the Historical Jesus

The quest for the historical Jesus is the attempt to use historical rather than religious methods to construct a verifiable biography of Jesus. As originally defined by Albert Schweitzer, the quest began in the 18th century with Hermann Samuel Reimarus, up to William Wrede in the 19th century...

 (Quest for the Historical Jesus) movement, a concept initiated by Hermann Samuel Reimarus

Hermann Samuel Reimarus

Hermann Samuel Reimarus , was a German philosopher and writer of the Enlightenment who is remembered for his Deism, the doctrine that human reason can arrive at a knowledge of God and ethics from a study of nature and our own internal reality, thus eliminating the need for religions based on...

(1694-1768). He also exerted substantial influence upon the German educational system. Among written works attributed to him was a 39-volume collection of his sermons, which were published between 1793 and 1837. Other noted publications by Reinhard include:

• Versuch über den Plan, welchen der Stifter der christlichen Religion.. (1781); translated into English in 1831 as "Plan of the Founder of Christianity".
• System der christlichen Moral (System of Christian Morals); (1792)
• Vorlesungen über die Dogmatik (Lecture of Dogmatics); (1801)