Wilhelm Pauck
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Pauck was born in Laasphe, Germany
. He was a Reformation church historian and a historical theologian who studied at Berlin
(1920–1924) under Ernst Troeltsch
and Karl Holl
. During a year away from Berlin, he attended lectures by Adolf von Harnack
and Karl Barth
. In 1925, Holl recommended he spend a year studying at Chicago Theological Seminary
and in 1926 the University of Chicago Divinity School
invited him to become the successor to the church historian Henry H. Walker. The seminary was affiliated with the University of Chicago
and Pauck would spend twenty-seven years there as a professor.
In 1926, Pauck joined a growing and impressive list of religious scholars at the University of Chicago
including Shailer Mathews
, Shirley Jackson Case, William E. Dodd, John T. McNeill, Mathew Spinks and Charles H. Lyttle. In 1927, William W. Sweet, an American church historian joined the faculty and quickly became friends with Wilhelm Pauck.
Pauck was initially troubled by the poor response that American liberal Protestantism gave to the theology of Karl Barth. In 1931, Pauck published Karl Barth: Prophet of a New Christianity in an effort to defend Barth's critique of Protestant liberalism. While Pauck did support Barth's critique of liberalism he found Barth's lack of historical criticism troubling and could not defend Barth's attempt to confine God's revelation to the Bible. Barth was angry at Pauck's critique but eventually came to regard him in friendly terms and suggested to him that he look at the theological ideals of Paul Tillich
.
Wilhelm Pauck already was familiar with Tillich when he met him as a lecturer in Berlin in 1921. When Tillich came to America in 1933 the two became very good friends. Pauck and his second wife, Marion, embarked on a planned two-volume work on Tillich, of which Volume 1 would focus on Tillich's life and be written primarily by Marion, and volume two would focus on Tillich's thought and be written primarily by Wilhelm. However, the second volume was never completed or published. In spite of Pauck's interest in modern theology the majority of his written works addressed the history of the Reformation and Martin Luther
.
Although less well known than Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr
, Pauck was an important theological figure in America. At his prime he could be considered the Dean of Historical Theology in America even though his own thought was hard to determine. His theological leanings have been described as more similar to Harnack than to Luther as he attempted to mediate between the ideas of the Reformation and the ideals of Schleiermacher and Tillich.
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...
. He was a Reformation church historian and a historical theologian who studied at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(1920–1924) under Ernst Troeltsch
Ernst Troeltsch
Ernst Troeltsch was a German Protestant theologian and writer on philosophy of religion and philosophy of history, and an influential figure in German thought before 1914...
and Karl Holl
Karl Holl
Karl Holl was a Professor of theology and church history at Tübingen and Berlin and is considered one of the most influential church historians of his era.- Life :...
. During a year away from Berlin, he attended lectures by Adolf von Harnack
Adolf von Harnack
Adolf von Harnack , was a German theologian and prominent church historian.He produced many religious publications from 1873-1912....
and Karl Barth
Karl 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...
. In 1925, Holl recommended he spend a year studying at Chicago Theological Seminary
Chicago Theological Seminary
The Chicago Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ. It prepares women and men for leadership in the church and society through Master of Divinity , Master of Arts in Religious Studies , Master of Sacred Theology , Doctor of Ministry , and Doctor of Philosophy programs...
and in 1926 the University of Chicago Divinity School
University of Chicago Divinity School
The University of Chicago Divinity School is a graduate institution at the University of Chicago dedicated to the training of academics and clergy across religious boundaries...
invited him to become the successor to the church historian Henry H. Walker. The seminary was affiliated with the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
and Pauck would spend twenty-seven years there as a professor.
In 1926, Pauck joined a growing and impressive list of religious scholars at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
including Shailer Mathews
Shailer Mathews
Shailer Mathews was a liberal Christian theologian, involved with the Social Gospel movement.Born in Portland, Maine, and graduated from Colby College there, Mathews was progressive in his day, advocating social concerns as part of the Social Gospel message, and subjecting Biblical texts to...
, Shirley Jackson Case, William E. Dodd, John T. McNeill, Mathew Spinks and Charles H. Lyttle. In 1927, William W. Sweet, an American church historian joined the faculty and quickly became friends with Wilhelm Pauck.
Pauck was initially troubled by the poor response that American liberal Protestantism gave to the theology of Karl Barth. In 1931, Pauck published Karl Barth: Prophet of a New Christianity in an effort to defend Barth's critique of Protestant liberalism. While Pauck did support Barth's critique of liberalism he found Barth's lack of historical criticism troubling and could not defend Barth's attempt to confine God's revelation to the Bible. Barth was angry at Pauck's critique but eventually came to regard him in friendly terms and suggested to him that he look at the theological ideals of Paul Tillich
Paul Tillich
Paul Johannes Tillich was a German-American theologian and Christian existentialist philosopher. Tillich was one of the most influential Protestant theologians of the 20th century...
.
Wilhelm Pauck already was familiar with Tillich when he met him as a lecturer in Berlin in 1921. When Tillich came to America in 1933 the two became very good friends. Pauck and his second wife, Marion, embarked on a planned two-volume work on Tillich, of which Volume 1 would focus on Tillich's life and be written primarily by Marion, and volume two would focus on Tillich's thought and be written primarily by Wilhelm. However, the second volume was never completed or published. In spite of Pauck's interest in modern theology the majority of his written works addressed the history of the Reformation and Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
.
Although less well known than Paul Tillich and Reinhold Niebuhr
Reinhold Niebuhr
Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr was an American theologian and commentator on public affairs. Starting as a leftist minister in the 1920s indebted to theological liberalism, he shifted to the new Neo-Orthodox theology in the 1930s, explaining how the sin of pride created evil in the world...
, Pauck was an important theological figure in America. At his prime he could be considered the Dean of Historical Theology in America even though his own thought was hard to determine. His theological leanings have been described as more similar to Harnack than to Luther as he attempted to mediate between the ideas of the Reformation and the ideals of Schleiermacher and Tillich.