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Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette (12 January 1780 – 16 June 1849) was a German
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 ...
and
biblical scholar.
Life and education
Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette was born 12 January 1780 in Ulla (now part of the municipality of
Nohra
Nohra is a village and a former municipality in the Weimarer Land district of Thuringia, Germany. Since December 2019, it is part of the municipality Grammetal. On 1 December 2007, the former municipality Utzberg was incorporated by Nohra.
Nohr ...
),
Thuringia
Thuringia (; german: Thüringen ), officially the Free State of Thuringia ( ), is a state of central Germany, covering , the sixth smallest of the sixteen German states. It has a population of about 2.1 million.
Erfurt is the capital and lar ...
, where his father was a
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
. As a boy, he was sent to the
gymnasium at the nearby city of
Weimar
Weimar is a city in the state of Thuringia, Germany. It is located in Central Germany between Erfurt in the west and Jena in the east, approximately southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together with the neighbouri ...
. Here he was much influenced by
Johann Gottfried von Herder
Johann Gottfried von Herder ( , ; 25 August 174418 December 1803) was a German philosopher, theologian, poet, and literary critic. He is associated with the Enlightenment, '' Sturm und Drang'', and Weimar Classicism.
Biography
Born in Mohrun ...
, who frequently examined at the school. In 1799, de Wette entered
the University of Jena to study theology, his principal teachers being
J. J. Griesbach and
H. E. G. Paulus. By the time he submitted his dissertation in September 1804, he was in regular contact at Jena with
Jakob Friedrich Fries
Jakob Friedrich Fries (; 23 August 1773 – 10 August 1843) was a German post-KantianTerry Pinkard, ''German Philosophy 1760-1860: The Legacy of Idealism'', Cambridge University Press, 2002, pp. 199–212. philosopher and mathematician.
Biogra ...
and
Karl David Ilgen
Karl David Ilgen (26 February 1763, in Sehna, a village near Eckartsberga – 17 September 1834, in Berlin) was a German Protestant Old Testament scholar and classical philologist.
He studied theology and philology at the University of Leipzig, a ...
, who perhaps led him to his contact with
Johann Severin Vater
Johann Severin Vater (; May 27, 1771, Altenburg – March 16, 1826, Halle) was a German theologian, biblical scholar, and linguist.
Biography
He was a student and professor at Jena and Halle. In 1809, he became professor at Königsberg. In 1820 ...
, a scholar whose work he both admired and, in some respects, duplicated independently. He became a ''
Privatdozent'' at Jena after completing his doctorate degree.
In 1807, de Wette became a professor of theology at
Heidelberg
Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...
, where he came under the influence of
Jakob Friedrich Fries
Jakob Friedrich Fries (; 23 August 1773 – 10 August 1843) was a German post-KantianTerry Pinkard, ''German Philosophy 1760-1860: The Legacy of Idealism'', Cambridge University Press, 2002, pp. 199–212. philosopher and mathematician.
Biogra ...
(1773–1843), whose hiring he helped arrange (as well as that of Paulus). In 1810, was transferred to a similar chair in the newly founded
Friedrich Wilhelm University in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
, where he became friendly with
Friedrich Schleiermacher. He was, however, dismissed from Berlin in 1819 on account of his having written a letter of consolation to the mother of
Karl Ludwig Sand
Karl Ludwig Sand (Wunsiedel, Upper Franconia (then in Prussia), 5 October 1795 – Mannheim, 20 May 1820) was a German university student and member of a liberal Burschenschaft (student association). He was executed in 1820 for the murder of the c ...
, the murderer of
August Friedrich Ferdinand von Kotzebue. A petition in his favour presented by the senate of the university was unsuccessful, and a decree was issued not only depriving him of the chair, but also banishing him from the
Prussian kingdom
The Kingdom of Prussia (german: Königreich Preußen, ) was a German kingdom that constituted the state of Prussia between 1701 and 1918. Marriott, J. A. R., and Charles Grant Robertson. ''The Evolution of Prussia, the Making of an Empire''. R ...
.
De Wette retired to Weimar, where he occupied his leisure in the preparation of his edition of
Martin Luther
Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...
and in writing the romance ''Theodor oder die Weihe des Zweiflers'' (1822), in which he describes the education of an evangelical pastor. He began preaching, at which he proved to be very popular. In 1822, he accepted the chair of theology in the
University of Basel
The University of Basel (Latin: ''Universitas Basiliensis'', German: ''Universität Basel'') is a university in Basel, Switzerland. Founded on 4 April 1460, it is Switzerland's oldest university and among the world's oldest surviving universit ...
, which had been reorganized four years before. Though his appointment had been strongly opposed by the orthodox party, De Wette soon won for himself great influence both in the university and among the people generally. He was admitted a citizen and became rector of the university, which owed to him much of its recovered strength, particularly in the theological faculty.
Marriages and family
De Wette married three times, first with Eberhardine Boye, then Henriette, née Frisch, widowed Beck, the mother of
Charles Beck
Charles Beck or Karl Beck (August 19, 1798 – March 19, 1866) was a German-born American classical scholar, Harvard professor and friend of Charles Follen.
Biography
Beck was born in Heidelberg. His merchant father died when Beck was young, ...
, and the third time in 1833 Sophie, née Streckeisen, widow of the Berne pastor Abraham Rudolf von May.
Studies
In his 1805 doctoral dissertation, de Wette proposed that the "book of law" discovered in the temple by the priest
Hilkiah
Hilkiah ( ''Ḥīlqīyyā'', "my portion is Yah") was a Hebrew priest ("Kohen") at the time of King Josiah (reigned c. 641-609 BCE). His name is mentioned in II Kings. He was the High Priest and is known for finding a lost copy of the Book of t ...
as described in
2 Kings
The Book of Kings (, '' Sēfer Məlāḵīm'') is a book in the Hebrew Bible, found as two books (1–2 Kings) in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. It concludes the Deuteronomistic history, a history of Israel also including the book ...
22 was the
Book of Deuteronomy. The suggestion has been described by
Julius Wellhausen as "the epoch-making opener of the historical criticism of the
Pentateuch
The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...
" which prepared the way for the
Supplementary hypothesis. But he also made valuable contributions to other branches of theology. He had, moreover, considerable poetic faculty, and wrote a drama in three acts, entitled ''Die Entsagung'' (Berlin, 1823). He had an intelligent interest in art, and studied ecclesiastical music and architecture. As a Biblical critic he is sometimes classed with the destructive school, but, as
Otto Pfleiderer
Otto Pfleiderer (1 September 1839 – 18 July 1908) was a German Protestant theologian. Through his writings and his lectures, he became known as one of the most influential representatives of liberal theology.
Biography
Pfleiderer was born at S ...
says (''Development of Theology''), he "occupied as free a position as the
Rationalists
In philosophy, rationalism is the epistemological view that "regards reason as the chief source and test of knowledge" or "any view appealing to reason as a source of knowledge or justification".Lacey, A.R. (1996), ''A Dictionary of Philosophy ...
with regard to the literal authority of the creeds of the church, but that he sought to give their due value to the religious feelings, which the Rationalists had not done, and, with a more unfettered mind towards history, to maintain the connection of the present life of the church with the past."
[Pfleiderer, O. and Smith, J. F.]
The Development of Theology in Germany since Kant: and its Progress in Great Britain since 1825
accessed 3 September 2022, p. n117 His works are marked by exegetical skill, unusual power of condensation and uniform fairness. Accordingly, they possess value that is little affected by the progress of criticism.
Death
De Wette died in
Basel
, french: link=no, Bâlois(e), it, Basilese
, neighboring_municipalities= Allschwil (BL), Hégenheim (FR-68), Binningen (BL), Birsfelden (BL), Bottmingen (BL), Huningue (FR-68), Münchenstein (BL), Muttenz (BL), Reinach (BL), Riehen (BS ...
on 16 June 1849.
Selected works
His most important works are:
*''Beiträge zur Einleitung in das Alte Testament'' (''Contributions to the Introduction of the
Old Testament''. 2 vols, 1806–1807).
*''Kommentar über die Psalmen'' (''Commentary on the
Psalms
The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...
''. 1811), which has passed through several editions.
*''Lehrbuch der hebräisch-jüdischen Archäologie'' (''Textbook of
Hebrew-Jewish Archaeology''. 1814).
*''Über Religion und Theologie'' (''On Religion and Theology''. 1815); a work showing its author's general theological positions.
*''Lehrbuch der christlichen Dogmatik'' (''Textbook of Christian
Dogmatics''. 1813-1816).
*''Lehrbuch der historisch-kritischen Einleitung in die Bibel'' (''Textbook of the
Historical-Critical Introduction to the Bible''. 1817).
*''Christliche Sittenlehre'' (''Christian Moral Teaching''. 1819–1821).
*''Einleitung in das Neue Testament'' (''Introduction to 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 ...
''. 1826).
*''Religion, ihr Wesen, ihre Erscheinungsform, und ihr Einfluss auf das Leben'' (''Religion, its nature, its appearance, and its influence on life''. 1827).
*''Das Wesen des christlichen Glaubens'' (''The Essence of the Christian Faith''. 1846).
*''Kurzgefasstes exegetisches Handbuch zum Neuen Testament'' (''Concise
Exegetical
Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretation ...
Handbook on the New Testament''. 1836–1848).
De Wette also edited Luther's works (5 vols., 1825–1828).
Selected works online
From
Google Books
Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical ...
:
* ''Dr. Martin Luthers Briefe, Sendschreiben und Bedenken: vollständig aus den verschiedenen Ausgaben seiner Werke und Briefe, aus andern Büchern und noch unbenutzten Handschriften gesammelt, kritisch und historisch bearbeitet'', 5 vols., Berlin
Georg reimer vol. 6, ed. b
Johann Karl Seidemann- German (
Fraktur
Fraktur () is a calligraphic hand of the Latin alphabet and any of several blackletter typefaces derived from this hand. The blackletter lines are broken up; that is, their forms contain many angles when compared to the curves of the Antiqu ...
) and Latin. Reviewed here (July 1845)
books.google.comvol. 1, ''Erster Theil'', 1825vol. 2, ''Zwenter Theil'', 1826vol. 3, ''Dritter Theil'', 1827vol. 4, ''Vierter Theil'', 1827vol. 5, ''Fünfter Theil'', 1828vol. 6, ''Sechster Theil'', 1856''Lehrbuch der historisch-kritischen Einleitung in die Bibel Alten und Neuen Testamentes'' Erster Theil, Berlin: Georg Reimer, 1852
Commentar über die Psalmen nebst beigefügter Übersetzung fünfte auflage, herausgegeben von Dr.
Gustav Baur, Professor der Theologie an der Universität
Giessen
Giessen, spelled Gießen in German (), is a town in the German state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of both the district of Giessen and the administrative region of Giessen. The population is approximately 90,000, with roughly 37,000 univer ...
, Akademische Verlagshandlung, Heidelberg, 1811, 1856, which passed through several editions, and was long regarded as of high authority.
''An Historico-Critical Introduction to the Canonical Books of the New Testament'' Frederick Frothingham, tr., Boston: Crosby, Nichols and Company, 1858
''Lehrbuch der hebräisch-jüdischen Archäologie nebst einem Grundrisse der hebräisch-jüdischen Geschichte'' 4th edition, Leipzig: F.C.W. Vogel, 1864
*
Christliche Sittenlehre ' , Berlin, 1819
References
;Attribution
*
Further reading
* Howard, Thomas Albert
''Religion and the Rise of Historicism'':W.M.L. De Wette,
Jacob Burckhardt, and the Theological Origins of Nineteenth-Century Historical Consciousness, Cambridge University Press, 1999.
* John W. Rogerson, ''W.M.L. de Wette, Founder of Modern Biblical Criticism. An Intellectual Biography'', Sheffield Academic Press, 1992.
*John W. Rogerson, ''Old Testament Criticism'', pages 28–49. Wipf and Stock 2010.
*
Smend, Rudolf, ''Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wettes Arbeit am Alten und am Neuen Testament'' (''Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette's Work on the Old and New Testament''), Basel: Helbing & Lichtenhahn, 1958
*
Van Seters, John, ''The Edited Bible: the Curious History of the "Editor" in Biblical Criticism'', pages 205-215. Eisenbrauns, 2006.
External links
De Wette at Jewish Encyclopedia.comDe Wette at The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wette, Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de
1780 births
1849 deaths
19th-century German Protestant theologians
German biblical scholars
Old Testament scholars
New Testament scholars
19th-century German male writers
German male non-fiction writers
Translators of the Bible into German
Heidelberg University faculty
Humboldt University of Berlin faculty
University of Basel faculty
University of Jena alumni