Gerd Theissen
Encyclopedia
Gerd Theißen is a German
Protestant
theologian and New Testament
scholar. He is Professor of New Testament Theology at the University of Heidelberg.
in 1968. He then took a position studying Evangelical Theology at the University of Bonn. He obtained his habilitation
in 1972 in Bonn, with a form-critical work on early Christian miracle stories. In 1978 he became professor at the University of Copenhagen
.
Since 1980 he has been a professor at the University of Heidelberg. From 2007 to September 2009 he was secretary of the Philosophical class of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences.
Theissen received the Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies in 2002 from The British Academy
. According to the British Academy's citation, Theissen is
the citation goes on to say that
His works are translated into more than ten languages, both European and Asian languages.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
theologian and New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
scholar. He is Professor of New Testament Theology at the University of Heidelberg.
Education and career
Theissen obtained his doctorate in theology in Protestant theology from the University of BonnUniversity of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
in 1968. He then took a position studying Evangelical Theology at the University of Bonn. He obtained his habilitation
Habilitation
Habilitation is the highest academic qualification a scholar can achieve by his or her own pursuit in several European and Asian countries. Earned after obtaining a research doctorate, such as a PhD, habilitation requires the candidate to write a professorial thesis based on independent...
in 1972 in Bonn, with a form-critical work on early Christian miracle stories. In 1978 he became professor at the University of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
.
Since 1980 he has been a professor at the University of Heidelberg. From 2007 to September 2009 he was secretary of the Philosophical class of the Heidelberg Academy of Sciences.
Personal life
Theissen is married to psychotherapist Dr. Christa Schaible. They have two children.Work
His Sociology of early Palestinian Christianity (1978) is useful for interpreting intertestamental literature.Theissen received the Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies in 2002 from The British Academy
British Academy
The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
. According to the British Academy's citation, Theissen is
- "... one of the earliest pioneers in the application of the principles and methods of sociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
to the study of the New Testament. Notable works in this field are The First Followers of Jesus: A Sociological Analysis of the Earliest Christians (which concentrated on conditions in Palestine) and The Social Setting of Primitive Christianity (a Pauline study dealing mainly with Corinth)."
the citation goes on to say that
- "... Prof. Theissen is not simply a sociologist. He has never ceased to be a theologian, who has always emphasised the theological as well as the historical significance of his sociological studies and has written specifically on the meaning of faith. On having a Critical Faith: an Evolutionary Approach is particularly important in this respect. But his recent publications also include The Religion of the Earliest Churches, Gospel Writing and Church Politics: a Socio-rhetorical Approach, and The Shadow of the Galilean. This last is a most unusual life of Jesus, accessible to any intelligent reader, but based on the strictest critical discipline."
His works are translated into more than ten languages, both European and Asian languages.
Career
- Private lecturer University of Bonn 1973-1978
- Teacher 1976-1978
- Professor (Copenhagen) 1978