Confessional Lutheranism and German Theological Wissenschaft: Adolf Harle�, August Vilmar, and Johannes Christian Konrad Von Hofmann

This book investigates the relationship between nineteenth-century German theological Wissenschaft and the emergence of confessional Lutheranism. It argues that the first generation of confessional Lutherans contributed to the discourse over the nature of theological Wissenschaft. Part I examines the intellectual context of nineteenth-century theological Wissenschaft. Chapter 2 presents Kant's and Schelling's conceptions of Wissenschaft in relationship to theology. Chapter 3 analyzes Schleiermacher's contribution to the debate about the integrity of theology as a Wissenschaft, and concludes by considering the developments represented by F.C. Baur and Albrecht Ritschl. Part II investigates the different Lutheran approaches to theological Wissenschaft represented by Adolf Harle , August Vilmar, and Johannes von Hofmann. Chapter 4 examines Harle 's Theologische Encyklop die as the first expression towards a confessional Lutheran Wissenschaft. Chapter 5 highlights Vilmar's antagonistic posture towards modern German theology, while attending to his construction of an alternative approach to modern theology. Chapters 6 and 7 contextualize Hofmann against the landscape of German theology, while situating his theological Wissenschaft within his contentious work Der Schriftbeweis. Chapter 8 reflects upon these efforts at establishing a theological Wissenschaft in service to the church and the university.