Alfred Wikenhauser

Alfred Wikenhauser (born February 22, 1883 in Welschingen ; † June 21, 1960 in Freiburg ) was a German Catholic theologian ( New Testament scholar ).

life and work

Alfred Wikenhauser attended high school in Rastatt and Constance . He then began studying theology at the University of Freiburg . In 1907 he was ordained a priest and was then initially employed in pastoral care before he was sent to the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome for two years for two years to study exegesis . In 1913 he received his doctorate in theology from the University of Freiburg . After a renewed assignment in pastoral care followed in 1922 the habilitation and the appointment as a private lecturer at the theological faculty of the University of Freiburg. In 1926 he was appointed professor of New Testament exegesis at the University of Würzburg and in 1929 at the University of Freiburg. Here he researched and taught until his retirement in 1951.

Alfred Wikenhauser was one of the most renowned Catholic New Testament scholars of his generation, who promoted the reception of the results of critical biblical studies in Catholic exegesis. His introduction to the New Testament was very influential and rivaled the conservative by Wilhelm Michaelis and the liberal by Werner Georg Kümmel . He was co-initiator and co-editor of the Regensburg New Testament commentary series . He was also involved in the preparations for the series of Herder's Theological Commentary on the New Testament; this work was taken over and continued after his death by Anton Vögtle , his student and successor at the Freiburg chair.

Honor

Prelate Prof. Dr. theol. Alfred Wikenhauser is an honorary citizen of his birthplace Welschingen. In 2016 a street in Welschingen was named after him.

Publications

• The Acts of the Apostles and their historical value (New Testament Treatises, Vol. VIII / 3–5), Münster iW 1921.
• The Christ mysticism of St. Paulus (Biblical Time Issues, Vol. XII / 8-10), Münster iW 1928.
• The Acts of the Apostles translated and explained (Regensburg New Testament, Vol. 5), Regensburg 1938; 2nd greatly expanded edition 1951.
• Revelation of John (Regensburg New Testament, Vol. 9), Regensburg 1947; 2nd unchanged edition 1948.
• The Gospel according to Johannes (Regensburg New Testament, Vol. 4), Regensburg 1948.
• Introduction to the New Testament , Freiburg i. Br. 1953; 2., through and supplementary edition 1956; 3rd, improved & erg. ed. 1959 [6th, completely revised. By Josef Schmid 1973].
• The Christ mysticism of the Apostle Paul , 2nd, revised. u. exp. Freiburg 1956 (1st edition 1955).

literature

• Synoptic Studies. Alfred Wikenhauser on his seventieth birthday, offered by friends, colleagues and students , Munich 1953.
• Otto Knoch : Obituary, in: Bibel und Kirche 15, 1960, p. 90.
• Josef Schmid: In memoriam Alfred Wikenhauser , in: Biblische Zeitschrift 5, 1961, p. 92f.
• Lorenz Oberlinner : Wikenhauser, Alfred , in: Lexicon for Theology and Church . 3rd edition, Volume 10 (2001) Col. 1166.
• Christoph Schmitt:  Wikenhauser, Alfred. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 13, Bautz, Herzberg 1998, ISBN 3-88309-072-7 , Sp. 1110-1113.

Web links

• Literature by and about Alfred Wikenhauser in the catalog of the German National Library
• Bibliography on the website of the Freiburg University Library