Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob Paulus

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Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob Paulus with Jakob Wilhelm Roux (University Museum , Heidelberg)
Signature Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob Paulus.PNG

Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob Paulus (born September 1, 1761 in Leonberg ; † August 10, 1851 in Heidelberg ) was a Protestant theologian who has been the main exponent of theological rationalism since 1790, which is particularly evident in his natural explanations of miracles.

Origin and family

His father Gottlob Christoph Paulus became second pastor in Leonberg in 1757. In 1758 he married Maria Christine Köstlin (* 1738), a daughter of Tobias Köstlin (1713–1761), who was the camera administrator in Brackenheim . His parents come from the Württemberg honorable tradition and are descendants of the " Württemberg Luther ", the reformer Johannes Brenz . Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob's mother died in 1767 when he was only six years old.

Heinrich Paulus' father was dismissed from office as a mystic in 1771 and retired with his four children as a privateer to his hometown of Markgröningen . Heinrich distanced himself from his father's “ghost vision” early on.

His wife Karoline Paulus (born December 14, 1767 in Schorndorf; March 11, 1844 in Heidelberg), with whom he had been married since 1789, made a name for herself under the pseudonym Eleutheria Holberg by publishing several novels such as Wilhelm Dümond (Lübeck 1805), Adolf and Virginie (Nuremberg 1811), Erzählungen (Heidelberg 1823) etc. a name.

Both daughter Sophie (September 3, 1791 in Jena - May 5, 1847 in Heidelberg) was married to the writer and philologist August Wilhelm Schlegel for a few weeks in 1817 .

academic career

Heinrich Paulus studied theology and philosophy. In 1781 he received his Magister Phil. And in 1784 Mag. Theol at the University of Tübingen . PhD. After a stay abroad, he married his cousin Karoline Paulus, daughter of the chief magistrate Gottlieb Friedrich Paulus in Schorndorf, against his father's will, on June 2, 1789, whom he had previously met as his private tutor.

Paulus, theological head of rationalism , devoted himself to the study of oriental languages on a scientific journey through Germany, Holland, England and France , became professor of the same in Jena in 1789 and became full professor of theology at the University of Jena in 1793 .

In 1803 he went to Würzburg in the same capacity and became the first full Protestant theology professor there in November after the freedom of religion issued in January 1803 by edict . In 1807 he came to Bamberg as a school councilor, and in 1808 to Nuremberg. In the same year Paulus became a foreign member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences . In 1810 he came to Ansbach and in 1811 accepted an appointment as a secret church councilor and professor at the University of Heidelberg .

Retired in 1844, he died in Heidelberg on August 10, 1851. Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob Paulus rests in the Heidelberg Bergfriedhof in the so-called row of professors (Dept. D).

Teaching

His theological direction was rationalistic and critical of the Bible, he looked for the rational moral core in Jesus' teaching, which he defended against the falsifying doctrine of the Church. The kingdom of God is a state of moral perfection, Jesus is a teacher of the church with special reference to God, faith is a way of life.

He also advocated the modern rule of law, but rejected the equality of women, Jews and the dispossessed.

He turned against the post-Kantians Schelling and Hegel as well as the Romantics .

effect

In 1831, based on a memorandum by HEG Paulus, the Reform Parliament demanded a radical religious reform of Judaism as a prerequisite for any further legal concessions, in particular

  • the moving of the Sabbath,
  • renouncing Hebrew,
  • the repeal of the dietary laws and circumcision as "signs of national segregation" and
  • a "purification" or condemnation of the Talmud. [4]

Paul was of the opinion that Jews cannot be treated equally and given full citizenship as long as Judaism has not reformed and overcome its segregation. He advocated the complete assimilation of the Jews as a prerequisite for their recognition.

Paul's position on Judaism shows the dark side of rationalism, which becomes intolerance of the "foreign" where it appears unreasonable.

His declarations of miracles, which were heavily criticized by David Friedrich Strauss , have become best known .

Fonts

  • New repertory for biblical and oriental literature. Jena 1790–91, 3 vols.
  • Clavis on the Psalms. 2nd edition, Heidelberg 1815
  • Philological, critical and historical commentary on the New Testament. 2nd edition, Leipzig 1804-1808, 4 parts.
  • Sophronizon, or impartial, frank contributions to modern history, legislation and statistics of states, etc. Churches. Heidelberg. 1819-30
  • The believer in thinking, theological journal . Heidelberg 1825-29
  • The life of Jesus. Heidelberg. 1828, 2 vol.
  • Exegetical manual on the first three Gospels (Heidelberg. 1830–33, new ed. 1841–42)
  • New Sophronizon. Darmstadt 1841–42, 3 vols.
  • Schelling's lectures on revelation . Darmstadt 1843.

as editor

  • Collection of the strangest journeys to the Orient , 7 volumes, Jena 1792–1803

literature

Web links

Wikisource: Collection of the strangest journeys in the Orient  - sources and full texts

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Carl Friedrich Haug. Communications from his life and his estate, printed as a manuscript for relatives and friends. Stuttgart. Printed by IB Metzler'schen Buchdruckerei. 1869. Edited by Karl von Riecke
  2. ↑ Martin Elze: The Evangelical Lutheran Church. In: Ulrich Wagner (Hrsg.): History of the city of Würzburg. 4 volumes, Volume I-III / 2, Theiss, Stuttgart 2001-2007; III / 1–2: From the transition to Bavaria to the 21st century. 2007, ISBN 978-3-8062-1478-9 , pp. 482-494 and 1305 f., Here: p. 482 f.
personal data
SURNAME Paulus, Heinrich Eberhard Gottlob
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Mellerstat
BRIEF DESCRIPTION theologian
DATE OF BIRTH September 1, 1761
PLACE OF BIRTH Leonberg
DATE OF DEATH August 10, 1851
Place of death Heidelberg