Friedrich Gogarten
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Gogarten was a Lutheran theologian, co-founder of dialectical theology in Germany
in the early 20th Century. He was born in Dortmund
.
bordering this new theological direction of the prevailing liberal theology and so far from their representatives (Albrecht Ritschl and others). Against historicism
and anthropocentrism
of Protestant theology of the 19th century represented the dialectical theology out the absolute antithesis
of God and man. The ultimate publication medium of dialectical theology was named after a phrase Gogarten's series "Between the ages."
Although Karl Barth in 1920 in a letter to Edward Thurneysen excited about Gogarten writes: "This is a dreadnought for us and against our adversaries. Who knows, someday he will teach us, he has quite the allure and the stuff one man which ... to be. ", is nonetheless only a few years later a certain distance between Barth and Gogarten felt. Then later there was the dissolution of the magazine "Between the times" and to break with Barth and sometimes also with Rudolf Bultmann
, who, however, takes 1940, the relationship Gogarten again.
After the so-called "Sports Palace demonstration on November 13, 1933 in Berlin, he departs, however, already appeared in several magazines with an explanation of the "Faith Movement of German Christians." Gogarten never joined the Nazi party.
Gogarten has taught since 1927 in Jena
, where he was due to his inaugural lecture on "theological tradition and theological work. Intellectual history or theology?", took over in 1931 as the successor of Erich Schaeder in Wroclaw
, Poland
the chair of Systematic Theology
, had to summer 1935 for the reading circle where Karl Barth in Bonn
, take over the representation and was then in the winter 1935 in Göttingen
as successor to Carl Strange as full appointed professor of systematic theology and appointed a university preacher. On February 25, 1955, he retired in Göttingen
, where he died.
Gogarten's general theme is "Man between God and the world," "The Church in the world" and the secularization
as a result of the Christian revelation
.
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...
in the early 20th Century. He was born in Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
.
Career
Under the leadership of Karl BarthKarl Barth
Karl Barth was a Swiss Reformed theologian whom critics hold to be among the most important Christian thinkers of the 20th century; Pope Pius XII described him as the most important theologian since Thomas Aquinas...
bordering this new theological direction of the prevailing liberal theology and so far from their representatives (Albrecht Ritschl and others). Against historicism
Historicism
Historicism is a mode of thinking that assigns a central and basic significance to a specific context, such as historical period, geographical place and local culture. As such it is in contrast to individualist theories of knowledges such as empiricism and rationalism, which neglect the role of...
and anthropocentrism
Anthropocentrism
Anthropocentrism describes the tendency for human beings to regard themselves as the central and most significant entities in the universe, or the assessment of reality through an exclusively human perspective....
of Protestant theology of the 19th century represented the dialectical theology out the absolute antithesis
Antithesis
Antithesis is a counter-proposition and denotes a direct contrast to the original proposition...
of God and man. The ultimate publication medium of dialectical theology was named after a phrase Gogarten's series "Between the ages."
Although Karl Barth in 1920 in a letter to Edward Thurneysen excited about Gogarten writes: "This is a dreadnought for us and against our adversaries. Who knows, someday he will teach us, he has quite the allure and the stuff one man which ... to be. ", is nonetheless only a few years later a certain distance between Barth and Gogarten felt. Then later there was the dissolution of the magazine "Between the times" and to break with Barth and sometimes also with Rudolf Bultmann
Rudolf Bultmann
Rudolf Karl Bultmann was a German theologian of Lutheran background, who was for three decades professor of New Testament studies at the University of Marburg...
, who, however, takes 1940, the relationship Gogarten again.
After the so-called "Sports Palace demonstration on November 13, 1933 in Berlin, he departs, however, already appeared in several magazines with an explanation of the "Faith Movement of German Christians." Gogarten never joined the Nazi party.
Gogarten has taught since 1927 in Jena
Jena
Jena is a university city in central Germany on the river Saale. It has a population of approx. 103,000 and is the second largest city in the federal state of Thuringia, after Erfurt.-History:Jena was first mentioned in an 1182 document...
, where he was due to his inaugural lecture on "theological tradition and theological work. Intellectual history or theology?", took over in 1931 as the successor of Erich Schaeder in Wroclaw
Wroclaw
Wrocław , situated on the River Oder , is the main city of southwestern Poland.Wrocław was the historical capital of Silesia and is today the capital of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship. Over the centuries, the city has been part of either Poland, Bohemia, Austria, Prussia, or Germany, but since 1945...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
the chair of Systematic Theology
Systematic theology
In the context of Christianity, systematic theology is a discipline of Christian theology that attempts to formulate an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the Christian faith and beliefs...
, had to summer 1935 for the reading circle where Karl Barth in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
, take over the representation and was then in the winter 1935 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:...
as successor to Carl Strange as full appointed professor of systematic theology and appointed a university preacher. On February 25, 1955, he retired 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:...
, where he died.
Gogarten's general theme is "Man between God and the world," "The Church in the world" and the secularization
Secularization
Secularization is the transformation of a society from close identification with religious values and institutions toward non-religious values and secular institutions...
as a result of the Christian revelation
Revelation
In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
.
Quotes
"This is the fate of our generation that we stand between two eras. We never belonged to the period which ends today. Whether we will ever belong to the time will come, and if we are made to it by us could, whether it will come so soon? "We are in the middle between them. In an empty room."Honors
- Honorary doctorate from the Theological Faculty of the University of Giessen (1924)
- Großes Verdienstkreuz der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) 1957
- Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Great Cross of Merit with Star of the Federal Republic of Germany) 1967