Hans Conzelmann

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Hans Conzelmann
Born(1915-10-27)27 October 1915
Tailfingen, Kingdom of Württemberg
Died20 June 1989(1989-06-20) (aged 73)
Göttingen, Germany
NationalityGerman
OccupationProfessor of New Testament at the University of Göttingen
Academic background
EducationTübingen, Marburg
Alma materHeidelberg University (Ph.D.)
InfluencesHans von Soden
Rudolf Bultmann
Academic work
EraMid 20th century
DisciplineBiblical studies and Theology
Sub-disciplineNT studies
InstitutionsHeidelberg University
University of Zurich
University of Göttingen
Notable worksDie Mitte Der Zeit
Notable ideastheological concept known as Heilsgeschichte

Hans Conzelmann (27 October 1915 – 20 June 1989) was a

Protestant, German theologian and New Testament
scholar.

Life

Conzelmann studied at the universities of Tübingen and Marburg (where he was influenced by Hans von Soden and Rudolf Bultmann) and, after World War II (in which he was severely wounded), he became the assistant to Helmut Thielicke at the University of Tübingen. He served at the same time as a pastor and, from 1948, as a religion teacher in a secondary school. In 1951 he submitted his dissertation and, in 1952, his Habilitation (Dr. habil.) at Heidelberg University. He then took a position teaching New Testament at Heidelberg and was called, in 1954, to the University of Zurich, where he was made full professor in 1956. In 1960 he was called to be Professor of New Testament at the University of Göttingen, where he remained until his retirement in 1978.

Work

One of Conzelmann's major works was Die Mitte der Zeit (Tübingen 1954), literally 'The Middle of Time', which was translated into English under the title, The Theology of

kingdom of God breaking into the present. This was a challenge to the portrait of Jesus as expecting an imminent eschaton
.

Conzelmann contends that Jesus' teaching about eschatology is unconnected to his words about God and ethics.

Concept of Salvation History

Perhaps Conzelmann's main contribution to the study of

Salvation History
").

Conzelmann thought that history could be divided into three eras:
1. the Old Testament period (up to and including John the Baptist)
2. the period of Jesus' earthly ministry (which Conzelmann said was free from interference from Satan)
3. the era of the Church.

These details have been challenged by later scholars - for example by asking where John the Baptist most accurately fits and if the life of Jesus really was a 'Satan free zone'.[1]

Select Publications

Conzelmann was the author (together with Andreas Lindemann) of the standard introduction to the New Testament in the German-speaking world: the Arbeitsbuch zum Neuen Testament.

  • Conzelmann, Hans (1954). Die Mitte der Zeit: Studien zur Theologie des Lukas. Tübingen: Mohr.
    OCLC 164809599
    .
    - (trans in English as The Theology of St. Luke London: Faber and Faber, 1960)
  • ———; . - (trans in English as An Outline of the Theology of the New Testament London: SCM Press, 1969)
  • ———; . - (trans in English as Interpreting the New Testament: an introduction to the principles and methods of N.T. exegesis Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1988)

References

  1. ^ See e.g. Christopher Tuckett, Luke, (Sheffield Academic Press Guide) chapter 2.