Hans-Hinrich Jenssen

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Hans-Hinrich Jenssen (born November 11, 1927 in Greifswald , † February 10, 2003 in Berlin ) was a Protestant theologian , advocate of liberal theology , theology professor and author.

Live and act

Jenssen was born as the son of theology professor Ernst Jenssen. Already in his parents' house in Greifswald he was brought up in the spirit of liberal theology and from the idea of ​​a free Christianity, i.e. H. the desire for more independence from church traditions and dogmas.

He studied theology at the University of Greifswald . In 1946 he joined the CDU and was also a member of the FDJ in the post-war years . In 1952 he became vicar in Ahlbeck .

Jenssen (2nd from left) in 1970 during a meeting of the presidium of the main board of the GDR CDU with party chairman Gerald Götting (3rd from left) and State Secretary Hans Seigewasser (4th from left)

He dealt in detail with the theological and philosophical thoughts of Albert Schweitzer and Ulrich Neuenschwander . He particularly represented Neuenschwander's view of the creative power of God and the inexplicability of his work in the world. Throughout his life he took part in the dialogue between theology and science in order to reconcile Christian belief with scientific knowledge. Many of the writings he has published deal with this topic.

Jenssen was in 1955 at the Humboldt University as a doctor of theology doctorate . He wrote his first book, The Historical Jesus , in 1957.

In the following years between 1956 and 1960 Jenssen was the village pastor in Spantekow ( Anklam district ) and chairman of the local CDU association.

He then taught practical theology and homiletics (sermon teaching) at the Humboldt University in Berlin for over 30 years , until he retired in 1993. In 1984 he wrote the book Knowledge of Nature and in 1985 the work Yes to the Modern World View .

During his time as professor of theology, Jenssen was from 1986 to 1991 Ephorus of the Evangelical-theological Konvikt Johanneum in Berlin (Mitte district); a student residence, primarily for theology students at Humboldt University. He was a member of the National Council of the National Front .

For his work in the East German CDU as a block party he declared in December 1989 with an example: "We were too mealy-opinionated, but not primarily because of cowardice, but of the political success sake!" And he went on to justify in detail: " ... in any case (we) thought it was right to accept a lot that we could not change in order to ... rooms of a certain, certainly z. To open partly little political participation ”.

Two years after his retirement he became President of the Bund für Free Christianity, and published several supplements in the Forum Free Christianity series for the magazine Free Christianity on various fundamental theological topics. He remained in this office until October 12, 2002, when he ended his career with a lecture on the synthesis between scientific knowledge and the Christian faith.

A few months later, Hans-Hinrich Jenssen died on February 10, 2003 at the age of 75. He was married and had two sons and a daughter.

Works

  • The historical Jesus. 1957
  • Handbook of Practical Theology. 1975–1978, 3 vols. (Ed.)
  • Theological lexicon. 1978, in collaboration with Herbert Trebs ed.
  • Knowledge of nature. 1984
  • Yes to the modern worldview. 1985
  • Knowledge of nature. Sin or God's Order? The recognizability of nature as confirmation of the belief in creation. 1987, (correct edition from 1984)
  • Yes to the modern worldview. Knowledge of nature in the light of faith. (Corr. edition from 1985)
  • 1998 Open Christianity - A Reader. 1987, Reader (Ed.)
  • published supplements (Forum Free Christianity) for the magazine Free Christianity :
  1. No. 22: Thoughts on the Sermon on Fate, Providence, and Petition for the Dialogue between Theology and Science. October 1991
  2. No. 38: Creation through Development. Darwinism and Christian Faith. - The sermon of the water. April 1997
  3. No. 44: Is everything really “all over” with death? Thoughts on the soul question. March 2002
  4. No. 45: "Heaven, earth, air and sea testify to the Creator's honor ..." Basic questions of creation theology before modern natural science, January 2003

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c d Anke Silomon: Synod and SED state: The Synod of the Federation of Evangelical Churches in the GDR in Görlitz from September 18 to 22, 1987. In: Works on contemporary church history: Series B, representations. Vol. 24, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1997, p. 436 ( Google books ).
  2. ^ Dissertation by Hans-Hinrich Jenssen in the catalog of the German National Library
  3. ↑ Neue Zeit daily newspaper , December 14, 1989, p. 3
personal data
SURNAME Jenssen, Hans-Hinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Protestant theologian
DATE OF BIRTH November 11, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Greifswald
DATE OF DEATH February 10, 2003
Place of death Berlin