Karl Friedrich August Kahnis
Encyclopedia
Karl Friedrich August Kahnis (22 December 1814 - 20 June 1888) was a German
Neo-Lutheran
theologian.
, and after acting as private tutor for several years began the study of theology at Halle. He was at first an ardent Hegelian, but he passed to orthodox Lutheranism. The transition may be dated from the publication of his Dr. Ruge und Hegel: Ein Beitrag zur Würdigung Hegelscher Tendenzen (Quedlinburg, 1838).
At the invitation of Hengstenberg Kahnis went in 1840 to Berlin, where he studied under August Neander
, Marheineke, Twesten, and others. To August Tholuck's Litterarischer Anzeiger für christliche Theologie he contributed a criticism of David Strauss
, which appeared in expanded form under the title Die moderne Wissenschaft des Dr. Strauss und der Glaube unserer Kirche (Berlin, 1842). In 1842 he became privat-docent and then spent two years in close relationship with Neander, Henrik Steffens
, and the circle of romanticists who
gathered about Ludwig von Gerlach.
In 1844 he was called to Breslau as professor extraordinary to represent the orthodox party in a rationalistic
faculty, but in his inaugural speech De Spiritus Sancti persona he departed from the accepted doctrine of Trinitarianism, ranking the Son as subordinate to the Father, and assigning the last place to the Holy
Spirit, which he described as the impersonal principle of life, binding together the other two. Hampered by the lack of harmony between himself and his colleagues, he devoted himself to investigation in theology, the first results being his Lehre vom heiligen Geiste (Halle, 1847).
(the consolidation of the Lutheran and Reformed churches in Prussia
effected by a royal decree in 1817). Convinced that the Lutheran confession possessed neither a logical nor a legal basis under the Union, he joined the old Lutheran party in November 1848, a step making his academic activity at Breslau still more difficult. In 1850, therefore, he accepted a call to Leipzig
, where he succeeded Gottlieb Christoph Adolf von Harless
in the chair of dogmatics, to which he later united that of church history. In the following year the University of Erlangen gave him the degree of D.D., and he acknowledged this honor by his Lehre vom Abendmahle (Leipzig, 1851), a formulation of the type of Lutheranism taught at Erlangen. He would have accepted a call to Erlangen in 1856 had not the authorities promised to fill the first vacancy in the faculty by a theologian in agreement with his own views. In the same year,
Christoph Ernst Luthardt
was called from Marburg, and he and Kahnis, together with Franz Delitzsch
, who came to Leipsic from Erlangen in 1867, constituted a triumvirate in theology.
In addition to his academic duties, Kahnis from 1851 to 1857 was a member of the board of missions, from 1853 to 1857 edited the Sächsische Kirchen- und Schulblatt, and from 1866 to 1875 was one of the editors of the Niednersche Zeitschrift für historische Theologie. At Leipzig in 1854 he published Der innere Gang des deutschen Protestantismus seit Mitte des vorigen Jahrhunderts,, expanded in the second edition (1860) to include the period from the Reformation.
The same years witnessed a literary controversy with Karl Immanuel Nitzsch
over the question of the Union
and confessional latitudinarianism, a controversy in which Kahnis sought to demonstrate the lack of doctrinal unity prevailing among the supporters of the movement.
of Meissen Cathedral and in 1864-65 he was rector of Leipzig University. Before that time, however, his religious views had undergone a change which found expression in his Lutherische Dogmatik (3 vols., Leipzig, 1861-68). The character of the work was
foreshadowed in the second edition of Der Innere Gang, which revealed an
approximation to rationalism, the abandonment of his old belief in
inspiration, a readiness to admit the necessity of progress in doctrine,
and an insistence on the importance of recognizing the facts of human
nature and natural morality
. The five divisions of the Dogmatik deal with
the history of Lutheran dogmatics, religion, revelation, creed, and
system. The problem which Kahnis set himself was the derivation of the
doctrines of the Lutheran Church from the basic principle of justification by faith, and the proof of their verity by the sole authority of the
Scriptures
. He found the nature of Christianity in the community of
salvation between man and God through Christ in the Holy Spirit, seeking
his proof in history, philosophy, and the common facts of life. It was not
the system he advanced that aroused opposition, but the attitude
assumed by him toward the higher critics of the New Testament
, his
readiness to adopt the most of their theories, and his consequent
modification of the doctrine of inspiration, as well as his dissent from
the dogma of the Church in respect to the Trinity
and the Lord's Supper
.
Hengstenberg (Evangelische Kirchenzeitung, 1862), with August Wilhelm Dieckhoff and Franz Delitzsch (Fur und wider Kahnis, 1863), was prominent among those who now accused Kahnis of apostasy
, and Kahnis replied to Hengstenberg in a pamphlet, Zeugniss für die Grundwahrheiten des Protestantismus gegen Dr Hengstenberg (1862). In 1884 he published the second volume of his Dogmatik, tracing the history
of the development of dogma in connection with the history of the Church, to prove the Lutheran doctrines of the present day the logical result of this twofold development. The third volume, Das System, which
appeared in 1868, repeated matter contained in the first two volumes, and
contradicted the basic principle of investigation laid down in the first
part. In 1871 he published at Leipsic a condensation of the historical
portion of the work under the title Christentum und Luthertum.
After the completion of his Dogmatik, Kahnis devoted himself to
historical studies. To this period belong his
Deutsche Reformation (Leipzig, 1872) and his Gang der Kirche in
Lebensbildern (1887). He died at Leipzig.
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...
Neo-Lutheran
Neo-Lutheranism
Neo-Lutheranism was a 19th century revival movement within Lutheranism which began with the Pietist driven Erweckung, or Awakening, and developed in reaction against theological rationalism and pietism...
theologian.
Early life
From a poor background, Kahnis was educated at the gymnasium of his native town GreizGreiz
Greiz is a town in Thuringia, and it is the capital of the district of Greiz. Greiz is situated in eastern Thuringia on the river Weiße Elster....
, and after acting as private tutor for several years began the study of theology at Halle. He was at first an ardent Hegelian, but he passed to orthodox Lutheranism. The transition may be dated from the publication of his Dr. Ruge und Hegel: Ein Beitrag zur Würdigung Hegelscher Tendenzen (Quedlinburg, 1838).
At the invitation of Hengstenberg Kahnis went in 1840 to Berlin, where he studied under August Neander
August Neander
Johann August Wilhelm Neander , was a German theologian and church historian.-Biography:Neander was born at Göttingen as David Mendel. His father, Emmanuel Mendel, is said to have been a Jewish pedlar, but August adopted the name of Neander on his baptism as a Protestant Christian...
, Marheineke, Twesten, and others. To August Tholuck's Litterarischer Anzeiger für christliche Theologie he contributed a criticism of David Strauss
David Strauss
David Friedrich Strauss was a German theologian and writer. He scandalized Christian Europe with his portrayal of the "historical Jesus," whose divine nature he denied...
, which appeared in expanded form under the title Die moderne Wissenschaft des Dr. Strauss und der Glaube unserer Kirche (Berlin, 1842). In 1842 he became privat-docent and then spent two years in close relationship with Neander, Henrik Steffens
Henrik Steffens
Henrik Steffens , was a Norwegian-born Danish philosopher, scientist, and poet.He was born at Stavanger, Norway. At the age of fourteen he went with his parents to Copenhagen, where he studied theology and natural science...
, and the circle of romanticists who
gathered about Ludwig von Gerlach.
In 1844 he was called to Breslau as professor extraordinary to represent the orthodox party in a rationalistic
faculty, but in his inaugural speech De Spiritus Sancti persona he departed from the accepted doctrine of Trinitarianism, ranking the Son as subordinate to the Father, and assigning the last place to the Holy
Spirit, which he described as the impersonal principle of life, binding together the other two. Hampered by the lack of harmony between himself and his colleagues, he devoted himself to investigation in theology, the first results being his Lehre vom heiligen Geiste (Halle, 1847).
Professor at Leipzig
After the revolution of 1848, in which Kahnis supported the king and the established order, he came to believe that the safest defense against irreligion was in rigid orthodoxy, and gradually drifted into an attitude of opposition to the UnionPrussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church)
The Prussian Union was the merger of the Lutheran Church and the Reformed Church in Prussia, by a series of decrees – among them the Unionsurkunde – by King Frederick William III...
(the consolidation of the Lutheran and Reformed churches in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
effected by a royal decree in 1817). Convinced that the Lutheran confession possessed neither a logical nor a legal basis under the Union, he joined the old Lutheran party in November 1848, a step making his academic activity at Breslau still more difficult. In 1850, therefore, he accepted a call to Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, where he succeeded Gottlieb Christoph Adolf von Harless
Gottlieb Christoph Adolf von Harless
Gottlieb Christoph Adolf von Harless , was a German Lutheran theologian.-Life:He was born at Nuremberg. As a youth, he was interested in music and poetry, and was attracted by ancient and German classical literature, especially by Jean Paul. He was indifferent to Christianity...
in the chair of dogmatics, to which he later united that of church history. In the following year the University of Erlangen gave him the degree of D.D., and he acknowledged this honor by his Lehre vom Abendmahle (Leipzig, 1851), a formulation of the type of Lutheranism taught at Erlangen. He would have accepted a call to Erlangen in 1856 had not the authorities promised to fill the first vacancy in the faculty by a theologian in agreement with his own views. In the same year,
Christoph Ernst Luthardt
Christoph Ernst Luthardt
Christoph Ernst Luthardt , German Lutheran theologian, was born at Maroldsweisach, Bavaria.-Biography:Christoph Ernst Luthardt studied theology at Erlangen and Berlin, and in 1856 became professor ordinarius of systematic theology and New Testament exegesis at Leipzig...
was called from Marburg, and he and Kahnis, together with Franz Delitzsch
Franz Delitzsch
Franz Delitzsch was a German Lutheran theologian and Hebraist. Born in Leipzig, he held the professorship of theology at the University of Rostock from 1846 to 1850, at the University of Erlangen until 1867, and after that at the University of Leipzig until his death...
, who came to Leipsic from Erlangen in 1867, constituted a triumvirate in theology.
In addition to his academic duties, Kahnis from 1851 to 1857 was a member of the board of missions, from 1853 to 1857 edited the Sächsische Kirchen- und Schulblatt, and from 1866 to 1875 was one of the editors of the Niednersche Zeitschrift für historische Theologie. At Leipzig in 1854 he published Der innere Gang des deutschen Protestantismus seit Mitte des vorigen Jahrhunderts,, expanded in the second edition (1860) to include the period from the Reformation.
The same years witnessed a literary controversy with Karl Immanuel Nitzsch
Karl Immanuel Nitzsch
Karl Immanuel Nitzsch , was a German Lutheran church leader.He was born at the small Saxon town of Borna near Leipzig. His father, Karl Ludwig Nitzsch, at that time pastor and superintendent in Borna, later became professor at Wittenberg and director of the seminary for preachers...
over the question of the Union
Prussian Union (Evangelical Christian Church)
The Prussian Union was the merger of the Lutheran Church and the Reformed Church in Prussia, by a series of decrees – among them the Unionsurkunde – by King Frederick William III...
and confessional latitudinarianism, a controversy in which Kahnis sought to demonstrate the lack of doctrinal unity prevailing among the supporters of the movement.
Later views and works
In 1860 Kahnis became canonCanon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
of Meissen Cathedral and in 1864-65 he was rector of Leipzig University. Before that time, however, his religious views had undergone a change which found expression in his Lutherische Dogmatik (3 vols., Leipzig, 1861-68). The character of the work was
foreshadowed in the second edition of Der Innere Gang, which revealed an
approximation to rationalism, the abandonment of his old belief in
inspiration, a readiness to admit the necessity of progress in doctrine,
and an insistence on the importance of recognizing the facts of human
nature and natural morality
Natural morality
Natural morality describes a form of morality that is based on how humans evolved, rather than a morality acquired from societal norms or religious teachings.Charles Darwins theory of evolution is central to the acceptance of a natural morality....
. The five divisions of the Dogmatik deal with
the history of Lutheran dogmatics, religion, revelation, creed, and
system. The problem which Kahnis set himself was the derivation of the
doctrines of the Lutheran Church from the basic principle of justification by faith, and the proof of their verity by the sole authority of the
Scriptures
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. He found the nature of Christianity in the community of
salvation between man and God through Christ in the Holy Spirit, seeking
his proof in history, philosophy, and the common facts of life. It was not
the system he advanced that aroused opposition, but the attitude
assumed by him toward the higher critics of the 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....
, his
readiness to adopt the most of their theories, and his consequent
modification of the doctrine of inspiration, as well as his dissent from
the dogma of the Church in respect to the Trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
and the Lord's Supper
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
.
Hengstenberg (Evangelische Kirchenzeitung, 1862), with August Wilhelm Dieckhoff and Franz Delitzsch (Fur und wider Kahnis, 1863), was prominent among those who now accused Kahnis of apostasy
Apostasy
Apostasy , 'a defection or revolt', from ἀπό, apo, 'away, apart', στάσις, stasis, 'stand, 'standing') is the formal disaffiliation from or abandonment or renunciation of a religion by a person. One who commits apostasy is known as an apostate. These terms have a pejorative implication in everyday...
, and Kahnis replied to Hengstenberg in a pamphlet, Zeugniss für die Grundwahrheiten des Protestantismus gegen Dr Hengstenberg (1862). In 1884 he published the second volume of his Dogmatik, tracing the history
of the development of dogma in connection with the history of the Church, to prove the Lutheran doctrines of the present day the logical result of this twofold development. The third volume, Das System, which
appeared in 1868, repeated matter contained in the first two volumes, and
contradicted the basic principle of investigation laid down in the first
part. In 1871 he published at Leipsic a condensation of the historical
portion of the work under the title Christentum und Luthertum.
After the completion of his Dogmatik, Kahnis devoted himself to
historical studies. To this period belong his
Deutsche Reformation (Leipzig, 1872) and his Gang der Kirche in
Lebensbildern (1887). He died at Leipzig.