Close

https://global.oup.com/academic/covers/pop-up/9780198783381

Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany

Zachary Purvis

Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs

Provides an innovative synthesis of modern German intellectual, political, and religious history; the history of higher education; and the history and development of modern theology.
Offers comprehensive treatment of major late eighteenth, nineteenth-, and early twentieth-century figures, schools, and developments in comparative international and transatlantic perspective.
Sheds light on a complex set of intellectual developments and historical processes.

Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany

Zachary Purvis

Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs

Description

Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany examines the dual transformation of institutions and ideas that led to the emergence of theology as science, the paradigmatic project of modern theology associated with Friedrich Schleiermacher. Beginning with earlier educational reforms across central Europe and especially following the upheavals of the Napoleonic period, an impressive list of provocateurs, iconoclasts, and guardians of the old faith all confronted the nature of the university, the organization of knowledge, and the unity of theology's various parts, quandaries which together bore the collective name of "theological encyclopedia." Schleiermacher's remarkably influential program pioneered the structure and content of the theological curriculum and laid the groundwork for theology's historicization.

Zachary Purvis offers a comprehensive investigation of Schleiermacher's program through the era's two predominant schools: speculative theology and mediating theology. Purvis highlights that the endeavor ultimately collapsed in the context of Wilhelmine Germany and the Weimar Republic, beset by the rise of religious studies, radical disciplinary specialization, a crisis of historicism, and the attacks of dialectical theology. In short, the project represented university theology par excellence. Engaging in detail with these developments, Purvis weaves the story of modern university theology into the broader tapestry of German and European intellectual culture, with periodic comparisons to other national contexts. In doing so, Purvis presents a substantially new way to understand the relationship between theology and the university, both in nineteenth-century Germany and, indeed, beyond.

Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany

Zachary Purvis

Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs

Abbreviations
1. Introduction
2. Organizing Knowledge
3. Institutions and Reforms
4. Enlightenment, History, and New Ideals
5. Theology and wissenschaft in the Quiet War
6. Schleiermacher from Halle to Berlin
7. Renewing Protestantism? Schleiermacher and University Theology
8. The Speculative Trajectory
9. Preceptor of Modern Theology: Hagenbach and the Mediating School
Conclusion
Select Bibliography

Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany

Zachary Purvis

Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs

Author Information

Zachary Purvis is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh.

Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany

Zachary Purvis

Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs

Reviews and Awards

Best First Book of the Ecclesiastical History Society 2017

"This book is an impressive feat for any historical theologian, and as a first book it bodes extremely well. It will be a standard bearer for years to come." -- Grant Kaplan, Journal of Modern History

"As an intellectual history of theology, an institutional history of college faculties, and a history of universities and university curricula ... this is what makes Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany such an invaluable volume" -- Stan M. Landry, American Historical Review

"The book skillfully employs a synthesis of modern German intellectual, political, religious, and higher education history, all of which serve as a cultural backdrop for the development of modern theology in German academia ... [T]his is a well-researched monograph and an excellent read. Its wealth of sources stimulates us to think not only about modern theology's past, but also its future as an academic discipline" -- Blake I. Campbell, German Studies Review

"Well researched, deftly argued and admirably written, Purvis' study brilliantly succeeds on two major counts. First, it reminds us that academic theology warrants close attention in our examinations of European intellectual life both before and after 1800... Second, it reveals German Protestantism's ties to 'modern' culture and science to have been much more complex and ambiguous than scholars have often admitted" -- Anthony J. Steinhoff, German History

"The lucid prose, careful scholarship, and wealth of direct engagement with primary and secondary sources affirms Purvis as a worthy recipient of the Ecclesiastical History Society's Best First Book Prize for 2017 ... Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany is a tour de force and is sure to command a readership among all who cherish even passing interest in the period" -- Bruce R. Pass, Reviews in Religion and Theology

"In Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany, Zachary Purvis provides a valuable perspective to the field by utilizing encyclopedia as the avenue to simplify and find the essential themes of the century. The work showing the long lines of influence and interaction is particularly impressive in a young scholar. He seems as confident in his history and historiography as in his theology and ably moves between these fields and their literature... [S]tudents of both German theology and modern universities will find this text a useful guide through the many philosophical and cultural trajectories of the nineteenth century." --Mark R. Correll, Fides et Historia

"An interesting addition... The theme of theological encyclopedia is a good thread to tie this story together. Purvis also succeeds in his claim that 'theological encyclopedia represented not only a means of describing the foundations and methods of theological study [...] but became a form of theology unto itself'" -- Theodore M. Via l, History of Modern Theology 2017 Volume 24 Issue 2

"Zachary Purvis makes a fascinating contribution... This book is highly recommended for its excellent analysis of the cultural and social forces that influenced the structure of German Protestant theology in the nineteenth century."--Jack Kilcrease, Lutheran Quarterly

"[Written] with erudition and verve ... [a] very rich and learned study, based on numerous archival as well as print sources. This is Purvis's first book: we can expect much more excellent scholarship from him in the future."--Elizabeth A. Clark, The Journal of Theological Studies

"[S]erves as an exemplary model for intellectual historians of every period and region."--Joel Iliff, Journal of Church & State

"[E]xcellent at showing the entanglement between philosophy and theology in nineteenth-century theological debates."--Andrew Hansen, Church History

"[A] really splendid contribution ... excels beyond many comparable efforts."--Reading Religion

"In brilliant and clear prose, Purvis unpacks the formation of theology as science (Wissenschaft) and ... provides a succinct analysis of theological encyclopedia's significance for shaping theology as a discipline amidst institutional turmoil. He helpfully reframes the study of the history of theological education... I recommend the work to any student or scholar with an interest in nineteenth century thought, modern theology, or theological education."--Center for Barth Studies, Princeton

"[A] welcomed addition... By virtue of its meticulous historical research and Purvis's talent for historical narration, Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany merits attention and study. But Purvis offers more than a thoroughly researched and well-crafted history ... rais[ing] challenging questions over the methodology of theological study and the proper venue for theology as a discipline."--James Lee, Logia: A Journal of Lutheran Theology

"[A]n exceptional text that is sensitive to historical investigation and theological evaluation. "With its sound interpretive foundation, this work deserves the serious attention of scholars of both religion and history."--Annette G. Aubert, Religious Studies Review

Theology and the University in Nineteenth-Century Germany

Zachary Purvis

Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs

From Our Blog

The University: past, present, '¦ and future?

By nearly all accounts, higher education has in recent years been lurching towards a period of creative destruction. Presumed job prospects and state budgetary battles pit the STEM disciplines against the humanities in much of our popular and political discourse. On many fronts, the future of the university, at least in its recognizable form as a veritable institution of knowledge, has been cast into doubt.

Posted on October 16, 2016

Read the blog post