Faculty of Theology, University of Göttingen

Göttingen Faculty of Theology

Former names

| Facultas Theologicae in Academia Georgia Augusta[1]

|

Type| Divinity
Established| 1737

Parent institution

| University of Göttingen
Location|

Göttingen

Lower Saxony

Germany

Website| www.uni-goettingen.de/de/sh/19855.html

The Göttingen Faculty of Theology is the divinity school at the University of Göttingen, officially denominated the "United Theological Departments" (German: Vereinigte Theologische Seminare) but commonly referred to as the "Theological Faculty" (German: Theologische Fakultät). It was instituted at the foundation of the University, in 1737, along with the three other original faculties of Law, Medicine, and Philosophy (or Arts). Over the centuries, the Göttingen Faculty of Theology has been home to many influential scholars and movements, including the rise of historical criticism,[2] Ritschlianism,[3][4] the History of Religions School,[5][6] and Dialectical Theology. Its members were also involved in the Göttingen school of history.[7]

A Protestant institution, the Theologische Fakultät has long consisted of the five traditional disciplines of theology—Old Testament Studies, New Testament Studies, Church History, Systematic Theology, and Practical Theology—but now includes Religious Studies as well. The faculty has numerous projects, programs, and partnerships with other centers, departments, and faculties across the University as well as the Göttingen Graduate School of Humanities and the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities.[8]

Besides the Göttingen State and University Library—which stands across from the Faculty's home, the Theologicum—the Faculty of Theology maintains its own specialist library, with current holdings of 170,000 volumes and 250 periodicals.[9]

## Academics

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The Faculty of Theology educates University students at all levels, for bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. (Historically, the Doctor of Theology was considered the highest academic rank, and at the University's foundation, it was mostly reserved for honorary purposes.[10][11]) It also trains ordinands for the Confederation of Protestant Churches in Lower Saxony. To support its students, the Faculty of Theology runs the Theologisches Stift. This residential college—initiated by Isaak August Dorner modelled on the Tübinger Stift—has its origins in an earlier theological seminary and numbers among the University's oldest institutions.[12]

### Departments

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Theologicum

The Faculty is divided into six primary departments, with their own dedicated chairs, researchers, lecturers, and support staff.

* Old Testament Studies
* New Testament Studies
* Church History
* Systematic Theology
* Practical Theology
* Religious Studies

### Special Research Sections

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In addition, the Göttingen Faculty of Theology houses other sections for specialized research. These sections often cut across departments within the faculty and involve other faculties as well. They include, among others, the following:

* Institute for Research on Qumran[13]
* Institute for Jewish Studies[14]
* Karl Barth Research Center[15]
* Archive for the History of Relions School[16]
* Division for Hellenistic Religious History[17]

### Major Research Projects

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Scholars at the Göttingen Faculty of Theology have launched substantial research undertakings, often in partnership with other institutions. Larger and longer-running ones among them include the following:

* Septuaginta-Unternehmen (1908–2015): a critical edition of the Septuagint (i.e., the Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible), launched by Alfred Rahlfs in cooperation with the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities[18][19]
* Qumran-Wörterbuch: a dictionary of the Dead Sea Scrolls, directed by Reinhard Gregor Kratz in collaboration with the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities[20][21][22]
* Critical Edition of the Old Testament in Coptic language together with the Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities[23]
* Götterbilder - Gottesbilder - Weltbilder: Polytheismus und Monotheismus in der Welt der Antike (2004–2012): an interdisciplinary graduate school or "research training group" (Graduiertenkolleg) for religion in the ancient world, directed by Hermann Spieckermann through support from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft[24][25]
* "Early Jewish Monotheisms" (2009–2014): a research group on the history of Judaism, led by Nathan MacDonald and supported by the Sofia Kovalevskaya Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation[26][27]

### Lecture Series

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* Julius-Wellhausen-Vorlesung—a lecture series delivered by distinguished scholars—held in conjunction with the Göttingen Centrum Orbis Orientalis et Occidentalis[28]

## People

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* Johannes Laurentius von Mosheim, Professor of Church History

* Albrecht Ritschl, Professor of Dogmatics and Church History

* Rudolf Smend, Professor of Old Testament

* Carl Mirbt, Professor of Church History

* Karl Barth, Professor of Reformed Theology

* Gerhard von Rad, Professor of Old Testament

* * *

An editor has nominated the above file for discussion of its purpose and/or potential deletion. You are welcome to participate in the discussion and help reach a consensus.

* Hermann Spieckermann, Professor of Old Testament

### Notable Members

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The following are notable past and present senior associates of the Faculty of Theology:

#### Past

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* Karl Barth
* Günther Bornkamm
* Hans Conzelmann
* Heinrich Ewald
* Ernst Käsemann
* Johann David Michaelis
* Nathan MacDonald
* Carl Mirbt
* Bernd Moeller
* Johann Lorenz von Mosheim
* Alfred Rahlfs
* Albrecht Ritschl
* Rudolf Smend
* Paul Tschackert
* Gerhard von Rad
* Walther Zimmerli
* Gerd Lüdemann

#### Present

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* Reinhard Gregor Kratz
*   * Hermann Spieckermann
* Andreas Grünschloß

### Notable Students

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The following are notable students of the Faculty of Theology:

* Wilhelm Bousset
* Albert Eichhorn
* Richard Gaffin
* Hermann Gunkel
* Wilhelm Heitmüller
* Jürgen Moltmann
* Rudolf Otto
* Otto Ritschl
* Ernst Troeltsch
* Johannes Weiss
* Julius Wellhausen
* Paul Wernle
* William Wrede
* Jacob L. Wright

## Bibliography

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* Bernd Moeller, ed. Theologie in Göttingen. Eine Vorlesungsreihe. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1987.
* Gerd Lüdemann, ed. Die “Religionsgeschichtliche Schule”. Facetten eines theologischen Umbruchs. Studien und Texte zur Religionsgeschichtlichen Schule 1. Frankfurt: Peter Lang, 1996.
* Gerd Lüdemann and Martin Schröder, eds. Die Religionsgeschichtliche Schule in Göttingen. Eine Dokumentation. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1987.
* Kurt Meier. Die theologischen Fakultäten im Dritten Reich. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 1996.
* Hans-Günther Schotter, ed. Die Geschichte der Verfassung und der Fachbereiche der Georg-August-Universität zu Göttingen. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1994.
* Bernd Schröder and Heiko Wojtkowiak, eds. Stiftsgeschichte(n). 250 Jahre Theologisches Stift der Universität Göttingen (1765–2015). Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2015.
* Leonore Siegele-Wenschkewitz and Carsten Nicolaisen, eds. Theologische Fakultäten im Nationalsozialismus. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1993.
* Rudolf Smend. "Eine Fakultät in kritischer Zeit. Die Göttinger Theologie zwischen 1930 und 1950." In idem, Zwischen Mose und Karl Barth. Akademische Vorträge. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2009.
* Jürgen von Stackelberg, ed. Zur geistigen Situation der Zeit der Göttinger Universitätsgründung, 1737. Eine Vortragsreihe aus Anlass des 250jährigen Bestehens der Georgia Augusta. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1988.

## References

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1. ^ Ebel, Wilhelm (1961). Die Privilegien und ältesten Statuten der Georg-August-Universität zu Göttingen. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
2. ^ C., Legaspi, Michael (2010). The death of Scripture and the rise of biblical studies. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195394351. OCLC 424499901.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
3. ^ Eckhard., Lessing (2009) [2000]. Geschichte der deutschsprachigen evangelischen Theologie von Albrecht Ritschl bis zur Gegenwart. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISBN 9783525561966. OCLC 47703759.
4. ^ Joachim., Weinhardt (1996). Wilhelm Herrmanns Stellung in der Ritschlschen Schule. Mohr. ISBN 9783161465963. OCLC 36379946.
5. ^ Moeller, Bernd (1987). Theologie in Göttingen : eine Vorlesungsreihe. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISBN 9783525358344. OCLC 16568554.
6. ^ Gerd., Lüdemann (1996). Die "Religionsgeschichtliche Schule" : Facetten eines theologischen Umbruchs. Peter Lang. ISBN 9783631300381. OCLC 36404091.
7. ^ Kelley, Donald R. (1998). Faces of history : historical inquiry from Herodotus to Herder. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300075588. OCLC 38248962.
8. ^ Öffentlichkeitsarbeit, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen -. "Georg-August-Universität Göttingen - Einrichtungen". www.uni-goettingen.de. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
9. ^ "Library Overview, Göttingen Faculty of Theology".
10. ^ Schaff, Philip (1857). Germany; its universities, theology and religion. Philadelphia, Lindsay and Blakiston.
11. ^ Ebel, Wilhelm (1961). Die Privilegien und Ältesten Statuten der Georg-August-Universität zu Göttingen. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht.
12. ^ Bernd, Schröder; Heiko, Wojtkowiak (2015). Stiftsgeschichte(n) 250 Jahre Theologisches Stift der Universität Göttingen (1765-2015). Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht. ISBN 9783525570371. OCLC 898300988.
13. ^ "Institute for Research on Qumran".
14. ^ "Institute of Jewish Studies".
15. ^ "Karl Barth Research Center".
16. ^ "Archive for the History of Religions School".
17. ^ "Division for Hellenistic Religious History".
18. ^ "Septuaginta-Unternehmen, Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities". Archived from the original on 2020-09-18. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
19. ^ "Septuaginta-Unternehmen, Faculty of Theology".
20. ^ "Qumran-Wörterbuch, Göttingen Academy of Sciences & Humanities".
21. ^ "Qumran-Wörterbuch, Göttingen Academy of Sciences & Humanities".
22. ^ "Qumran-Wörterbuch, Faculty of Theology".
23. ^ "Project Overview, Göttingen Academy of Sciences & Humanities".
24. ^ "DFG Project Overview".
25. ^ "Project Overview, Faculty of Theology".
26. ^ "Humboldt Foundation Announcement".
27. ^ "Faculty of Theology Webpage".
28. ^ "CORO, Lecture Series".

## External links

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* Faulty of Theology Website http://www.uni-goettingen.de/de/sh/19855.html
* University of Göttingen Website https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/1.html

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University of Göttingen

Leadership|

President
Metin Tolan

Faculties|

* Faculty of Agricultural Sciences
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Recognized institutes
and centers|

* German Aerospace Center (DLR)
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* Göttingen Observatory
* Center for Retrospective Digitization
* Johann Sebastian Bach Institute

Partner institutions|

* Göttingen Academy of Sciences and Humanities
* Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht
* Dieterich Publishing House
* Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity
* Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization
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Holdings and collections|

* Göttingen State and University Library
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* Sammlung für Völkerkunde
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* New Botanic Garden of Göttingen University
* Old Botanical Garden of Göttingen University
* Theater im OP

Major academic projects|

* AnimalBase
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* New Bach Edition
* Deutsches Wörterbuch
* Encyclopedia of Fairy Tales

Affiliated movements
and developments|

* Göttingen school of history
* History of religions school
* Ritschlianism
* Göttingen Manifesto
* Göttingen minipig
* Goettingen Journal of International Law
* Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages
* Zentralblatt MATH
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Affiliated people|

* List of University of Göttingen people
* University of Göttingen alumni
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* Göttingen Seven
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* Akademische Orchestervereinigung Göttingen

Student associations|

* Burschenschaft Hannovera
* Corps Hannovera Göttingen

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