Theodor Zahn or Theodor von Zahn (10 October 1838 in
Moers
Moers (; older form: ''Mörs''; archaic Dutch language, Dutch: ''Murse'', ''Murs'' or ''Meurs'') is a German List of cities and towns in Germany, city on the western bank of the Rhine, close to Duisburg. Moers belongs to the district of Wesel (d ...
– 5 March 1933 in
Erlangen
Erlangen (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative d ...
) was a German
Protestant
Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...
theologian
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
, a
biblical
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts of a ...
scholar
A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...
. He was nominated for the
Nobel Prize in Literature
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, caption =
, awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature
, presenter = Swedish Academy
, holder = Annie Ernaux (2022)
, location = Stockholm, Sweden
, year = 1901
, ...
three times.
Career
Zahn was born in
Moers
Moers (; older form: ''Mörs''; archaic Dutch language, Dutch: ''Murse'', ''Murs'' or ''Meurs'') is a German List of cities and towns in Germany, city on the western bank of the Rhine, close to Duisburg. Moers belongs to the district of Wesel (d ...
of the
Rhineland
The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section.
Term
Historically, the Rhinelands ...
,
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...
(now
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
). After studying at Basel, Erlangen and Berlin, he became professor of theology in the
University of Göttingen
The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen, (german: Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, known informally as Georgia Augusta) is a public research university in the city of Göttingen, Germany. Founded ...
in 1871. He filled a similar chair at
Kiel
Kiel () is the capital and most populous city in the northern Germany, German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 246,243 (2021).
Kiel lies approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the southeast of the J ...
in 1877, at
Erlangen
Erlangen (; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Erlang'', Bavarian language, Bavarian: ''Erlanga'') is a Middle Franconian city in Bavaria, Germany. It is the seat of the administrative district Erlangen-Höchstadt (former administrative d ...
in 1878, at
Leipzig
Leipzig ( , ; Upper Saxon: ) is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. Leipzig's population of 605,407 inhabitants (1.1 million in the larger urban zone) as of 2021 places the city as Germany's eighth most populous, as wel ...
in 1888 and in 1892 returned to Erlangen.
He was distinguished for his eminent scholarship, especially in connection with 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 Christ ...
canon. He stood at the head of the conservative
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 Christ ...
scholarship of his time. He was nominated for the
Nobel Prize in Literature
)
, image = Nobel Prize.png
, caption =
, awarded_for = Outstanding contributions in literature
, presenter = Swedish Academy
, holder = Annie Ernaux (2022)
, location = Stockholm, Sweden
, year = 1901
, ...
in 1902, 1904 and 1908.
Theologically, Zahn was conservative and approached New Testament theology from the perspective of a theological emphasis called ''Heilsgeschichte'' (usually translated into English as "
Salvation History
Salvation history (german: Heilsgeschichte) seeks to understand the personal redemptive activity of God within human history in order to effect his eternal saving intentions.
This approach to history is found in parts of the Old Testament writte ...
").
Works
Some of his more important writings are:
* ''Marcellus of Ancyra'' (1867)
* ''Der Hirt des Hermas untersucht'' ("The Shepherd of Hermas examined", 1868)
''Ignatius von Antiochien''(1873)
* ''Patrum Apostolicorum Opera'' (1875–78; fifth edition, 1905)
* ''The Acts of Saint John'' (1880)
* ''Forschungen zur Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons und der altkirchlichen Litteratur'' (eight volumes, 1881–1908)
* ''Cyprian of Antioch and the German Story of Faust'' (1882)
* ''Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons'' ("Researches into the history of the New Testament canon", two volumes, 1889–92)
* ''Das apostolische Symbolum'' (1892; English translation, ''The Apostles' Creed'', 1899)
* ''The Gospel of Peter'' (1893)
* ''Einleitung in das neue Testament'' (two volumes, 1897–1900; third edition, 1906–07; English translation, ''Introduction to the New Testament'', three volumes, 1909)
* ''Brot und Salz aus Gottes Wort'', 20 sermons, (1901; English translation, ''Bread and Salt from the Word of God'', 1905)
* ''Grundriss der Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Kanons'' ("Outline of the history of the New Testament canon", 1901; second edition, 1904)
* ''Das Evangelium des Lucas'' (1912)
References
*
Notes
External links
Zahn's New Testament Commentary series in Dr. B. A. Zuiddam's Tasmanian study.
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zahn, Theodor
1838 births
1933 deaths
People from Moers
People from Erlangen
19th-century German Protestant theologians
20th-century German Protestant theologians
German biblical scholars
New Testament scholars
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg faculty
University of Göttingen faculty
University of Kiel faculty
Leipzig University faculty
19th-century German male writers
German male non-fiction writers