Paul Wernle
Encyclopedia
Paul Wernle was a Swiss theologian born in Hottingen
, today part of the city of Zürich
.
He studied at the Universities of Basel
, Berlin and Göttingen. At Basel
he was a student of Bernhard Duhm
(1847-1928), and in Göttingen
was influenced by Wilhelm Bousset
(1865-1920). In 1900 he became an associate professor at Basel, where in 1905 he was appointed a full professor of New Testament Studies
. During the course of his career he also taught classes in dogmatics
, church history, et al.
Wernle was a representative of the so called "Religionsgeschichtliche Schule" (History of Religions
School). His expertise was in the field of New Testament
analysis, and he is largely remembered for his work involving Synoptic
and Pauline research.
Hottingen (Zürich)
Hottingen is a quarter in the district 7 in Zurich.It was formerly a municipality of its own, having been incorporated into Zurich in 1893.The quarter has a population of 10,100 distributed on an area of 5.05 km²....
, today part of the city of Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
.
He studied at the Universities of Basel
University of Basel
The University of Basel is located in Basel, Switzerland, and is considered to be one of leading universities in the country...
, Berlin and Göttingen. At Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
he was a student of Bernhard Duhm
Bernhard Duhm
Bernhard Lauardus Duhm was a German Lutheran theologian born in Bingum, today part of Leer, East Frisia....
(1847-1928), and in Göttingen
Göttingen
Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...
was influenced by Wilhelm Bousset
Wilhelm Bousset
Wilhelm Bousset was a German theologian and New Testament scholar. He was of Huguenot ancestry and a native of Lübeck....
(1865-1920). In 1900 he became an associate professor at Basel, where in 1905 he was appointed a full professor of New Testament Studies
New Testament Studies
New Testament Studies is an international peer-reviewed academic journal published by Cambridge University Press under the auspices of the Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas. The scope of the journal are short studies and articles on issues pertaining to the origins, history and theology of the New...
. During the course of his career he also taught classes in dogmatics
Dogmatic theology
Dogmatic theology is that part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and his works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Dutch Reformed Church, etc...
, church history, et al.
Wernle was a representative of the so called "Religionsgeschichtliche Schule" (History of Religions
History of religions
The history of religion refers to the written record of human religious experiences and ideas. This period of religious history begins with the invention of writing about 5,000 years ago in the Near East. The prehistory of religion relates to a study of religious beliefs that existed prior to the...
School). His expertise was in the field of 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....
analysis, and he is largely remembered for his work involving Synoptic
Synoptic Gospels
The gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke are known as the Synoptic Gospels because they include many of the same stories, often in the same sequence, and sometimes exactly the same wording. This degree of parallelism in content, narrative arrangement, language, and sentence structures can only be...
and Pauline research.
Selected publications
- Paulus als Heidenmissionar (Paul as Missionary to the Gentiles), 1899
- Die Anfänge unserer Religion (Beginnings of Our Religion), 1901
- Die Quellen des Lebens Jesu. Mohr (The Sources of the Life of Jesus), 1906
- Lessing und das Christentum (LessingGotthold Ephraim LessingGotthold Ephraim Lessing was a German writer, philosopher, dramatist, publicist, and art critic, and one of the most outstanding representatives of the Enlightenment era. His plays and theoretical writings substantially influenced the development of German literature...
and Christianity), 1912 - Der schweizerische Protestantismus im 18. Jahrhundert, 1923-1925
- Der schweizerische Protestantismus in der Zeit der Helvetik 1798-1803 (Swiss ProtestantismProtestantismProtestantism 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...
in the Years 1798-1803), 1938-42