Paul Lehmann (theologian)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Paul Louis Lehmann (born September 10, 1906 in Baltimore , Maryland , † February 27, 1994 in New York City ) was an American Protestant theologian .

Life

Lehmann, a son of Pastor Timothy Lehmann of German origin, studied at Ohio State University and at Union Theological Seminary in New York (especially with Reinhold Niebuhr ), where he - after a short pastoral service at St. Paul's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Garwood (New Jersey) - Received an assistant professorship in 1930. Here he made friends with Dietrich Bonhoeffer , who was the same age and who completed a year abroad at the seminary. In 1932/33 Lehmann went to study abroad at the universities of Zurich and Bonn , where he was primarily influenced by Karl Barth . On his return he became an assistant professor and in 1936 (after completing his doctorate at Union Theological Seminary) professor at Elmhurst College in Illinois . Other stations were Eden Theological Seminary in Missouri and Wellesley College in Massachusetts . In 1947 he received a professorship in theological ethics at Princeton Theological Seminary at Princeton University . From there he moved to Harvard University in 1956 . From 1963 until his retirement in 1974 he taught again at Union Theological Seminary.

His works were primarily devoted to ethical questions, with a focus on political ethics, human rights, the ethics of peace and the theology of the revolution.

The University of Tübingen awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1971 .

Fonts (selection)

  • A critical comparison of the doctrine of justification in the theologies of Albrecht Ritschl and Karl Barth . Diss. 1936
  • Forgiveness. Decisive Issue in Protestant Thought . New York: Harper and Brothers, 1940
  • Ideology and Incarnation: A Present Ecumenical Risk . Geneva: John Knox House, 1962
  • Ethics in a Christian Context . Harper & Row, New York 1963 (German: Ethik als Antwort - Methodik einer Koinonia-Ethik . Chr. Kaiser, Munich 1966)
  • Policy of Succession . In: Evangelische Theologie 32 (1972), pp. 560-579
  • Black theology and "Christian" theology . In: Evangelische Theologie 34 (1974), pp. 34–43
  • The transfiguration of politics. Jesus Christ and the question of revolution . Harper & Row, New York 1975 (German: Christologie und Politik. A Theological Hermeneutics of Politics . Göttingen: Vandenhoeck and Ruprecht 1987)
  • The Decalogue and a Human Future: The Meaning of the Commandments for Making & Keeping Human Life Human . Eerdmans, Grand Rapids 1994
  • Should we “keep” the commandments? In: Michael Beintker (ed.): Justification and experience. For Gerhard Sauter on his 60th birthday . Chr. Kaiser, Munich 1995

literature

  • Alexander J. McKelway, E. David Willis (Eds.): The Context of contemporary theology: essays in honor of Paul Lehmann . John Knox Press 1974
  • Hans Goedeking: Following Jesus in obedience and freedom. Paul Lehmann: His work and his friendship with Dietrich Bonhoeffer . In: Orientation 62 (1998), pp. 179–182 ( PDF file )
  • Philip G. Ziegler, Michelle J. Bartel (Eds.): Explorations in Christian Theology and Ethics: Essays in Conversation with Paul L. Lehmann . Aldershot 2009

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Lehmann, Paul
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Lehmann, Paul Louis; Lehmann, Paul L.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American Protestant theologian
DATE OF BIRTH September 10, 1906
PLACE OF BIRTH Baltimore
DATE OF DEATH February 27, 1994
Place of death New York City