Gustav Adolf Deissmann (7 November 1866 – 5 April 1937) was a German Protestant theologian, best known for his leading work on the
Greek language
Greek ( el, label= Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy ( Calabria and Salento), southe ...
used in the
New Testament
The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...
, which he showed was the ''
koine'', or commonly used tongue of the
Hellenistic
In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...
world of that time.
Life
Deissmann was professor of theology at the
Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg
}
Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...
(1897–1908), and then at the
Friedrich Wilhelms University of Berlin (1908–1935). He was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and held eight honorary doctorates from 6 different countries.
In 1904 he founded, together with
Albrecht Dieterich, the ''Eranos'' circle in Heidelberg. Members included
Ernst Troeltsch
Ernst Peter Wilhelm Troeltsch (; ; 17 February 1865 – 1 February 1923) was a German liberal Protestant theologian, a writer on the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of history, and a classical liberal politician. He was a member of ...
,
Max Weber,
Eberhard Gothein
Eberhard H. Gothein (29 October 1853 in Środa Śląska, Neumarkt – 13 November 1923 in Berlin) was a German economist and historian. Gothein was a professor at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, University of Karlsruhe (1885), University of Bonn ...
,
Georg Jellinek
Georg Jellinek (16 June 1851 – 12 January 1911) was a German public lawyer and was considered to be "''the'' exponent of public law in Austria“.
Life
From 1867, Jellinek studied law, history of art and philosophy at the University of Vienna ...
,
Karl Rathgen
Karl Rathgen (December 6, 1856, Weimar - November 4, 1921, Hamburg) was a German economist. He was the first Chancellor of the University of Hamburg.
After studying in Strasbourg, Halle, Leipzig and Berlin, he passed the first state examination ...
, and
Wilhelm Windelband
Wilhelm Windelband (; ; 11 May 1848 – 22 October 1915) was a German philosopher of the Baden School.
Biography
Windelband was born the son of a Prussian official in Potsdam. He studied at Jena, Berlin, and Göttingen.
Philosophical work
Win ...
.
In Berlin, Deissmann's academic focus began to shift from Greek philology to the ecumenical movement, church reform and, significantly, international ''Völkerverständigung'' (i.e. peace-promoting mutual understanding between nations and cultures). From 1914 until 1922 he produced a regular semi-political international communiqué, the ''Evangelischer Wochenbrief'' (1914–1921), with its English equivalent ''Protestant Weekly Letters'' (1914–1917). Its target audience was primarily influential German and American Christians, and it provided a forum for the advancement of peace and understanding among nations.
In 1925 Deissmann became aware of the disintegration of ancient
Ephesus, a historically important archaeological site, partly excavated before World War I under the auspices of the Austrian Archaeological Institute. Deissmann campaigned single-handedly for several years, both on a national and international level, to raise awareness of the plight of Ephesus, and managed to organise funding for the archaeological work to recommence in 1926, and continued annually until 1929.
[A. Gerber, ‘Gustav Adolf Deissmann (1866-1937) and the revival of archaeological excavations at Ephesus after the First World War’, ''Jahresheft des österreichischen archäologischen Institutes'', 75, 2006 007 pp. 39-46.]
Deissmann died on 5 April 1937, in Wünsdorf near Berlin, where he is buried in the local cemetery.
Selected works by Deissmann
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See also
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Tiberius Julius Abdes Pantera
Tiberius Julius Abdes Pantera (; c. 22 BC – AD 40) was a Roman- Phoenician soldier born in Sidon, whose tombstone was found in Bingerbrück, Germany, in 1859. A historical connection from this soldier to Jesus has long been hypothesized by nume ...
Notes
Further reading
* A. Gerber, 'Protestantism and Social Liberalism in Imperial Germany: Gustav Adolf Deissmann (1866–1937) and Friedrich Naumann (1860–1919)', in ''Australian Journal of Politics and History'', vol. 57, nr. 2, 2011, pp. 174–187.
* C. Markschies, ‘Adolf Deißmann – ein Heidelberger Pionier der Ökumene’, in ''Zeitschrift für neuere Theologiegeschichte'', 12, 2005, pp. 47–88.
* C. Markschies, ‘Adolf Deißmann. Ein Pionier der Ökumene’, in C. Möller, et al., eds., ''Wegbereiter der Ökumene im 20. Jahrhundert'', Göttingen, 2005, pp. 32–53.
* C. Nottmeier, ‘Ein unbekannter Brief Max Webers an Adolf Deißmann’, in ''Mitteilungen der Ernst-Troeltsch-Gesellschaft'', vol. 13, Augsburg, 2000, pp. 99–131.
* C. Nottmeier, ‘Hermann Cohen und Adolf Deißmann: Dokumente aus dem Nachlaß Adolf Deißmanns’, in ''Zeitschrift für neuere Theologiegeschichte'', 9, 2002, pp. 302–25.
* G. Harder / G/ Deissmann, ''Zum Gedenken an Adolf Deissmann. Vortrag anläßlich des 100. Geburtstages von Adolf Deissmann am 7. November 1966, gehalten am 26. April 1967 vor den Dozenten und Studenten der Kirchlichen Hochschule in Berlin'', Bremen, 1967.
External links
Gustav Adolf Deissmann Protestant Weekly letter, 1914-1916at Pitts Theology Library,
Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates ministers, scholars of religion and other leaders. It is also o ...
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On Deissmann's linguistic ideasby
James Hope Moulton
The Reverend James Hope Moulton (11 October 1863 – 9 April 1917) was a British non-conformist divine. He was also a philologist and made a special study of Zoroastrianism.
Biography
His family had a strong Methodist background. His father was ...
, 1914
Schaff-Herzog article, ''Hellenistic Greek'' by Deissmann*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Deissmann, Gustav Adolf
1866 births
1937 deaths
People from Rhein-Lahn-Kreis
People from Hesse-Nassau
20th-century German Protestant theologians
National-Social Association politicians
German biblical scholars
New Testament scholars
Scholars of Koine Greek
University of Tübingen alumni
Humboldt University of Berlin alumni
University of Marburg faculty
Heidelberg University faculty
Humboldt University of Berlin faculty
German male non-fiction writers
German papyrologists
Archaeologists from Rhineland-Palatinate