Rudolf Bultmann facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rudolf Bultmann
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| Born |
Rudolf Karl Bultmann
20 August 1884 Wiefelstede, German Empire
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| Died | 30 July 1976 (aged 91) |
| Alma mater | University of Marburg |
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Helene Feldmann
(m. 1917; died 1973) |
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| Institutions | University of Marburg |
| Thesis | Der Stil der paulinischen Predigt und die kynisch-stoische Diatribe (1910) |
| Doctoral advisor | Johannes Weiss |
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Rudolf Karl Bultmann (born August 20, 1884 – died July 30, 1976) was a famous German Lutheran theologian. He was a professor who taught about the New Testament at the University of Marburg. He was one of the most important people in biblical studies in the early 1900s.
Bultmann believed that understanding the New Testament meant looking at its deeper meaning for people's lives. He thought that the exact historical details of Jesus's life were not as important as the fact that Jesus lived, taught, and died. He also developed an idea called "demythologization." This meant explaining the old, traditional stories in the New Testament in a way that made sense to modern people. He wanted to show that the main message of faith was what truly mattered.
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Life and Education
Rudolf Bultmann was born on August 20, 1884, in a place called Wiefelstede, Germany. His father was a Lutheran minister. Rudolf went to school in Oldenburg and then studied theology at several universities: Tübingen, the University of Berlin, and finally the University of Marburg.
In 1910, he earned his degree from Marburg. His main study was about the Epistles of St Paul, which are letters in the New Testament. He also learned from other important scholars like Hermann Gunkel. Two years later, he became a teacher of the New Testament at Marburg.
Rudolf Bultmann married Helene Feldmann in 1917. They had three daughters together. Helene passed away in 1973.
After teaching for a short time in other cities, Bultmann returned to Marburg in 1921. He became a full professor and stayed there until he retired in 1951. Many students who later became famous scholars studied with him. One of his students was Hannah Arendt, a well-known thinker.
Bultmann became good friends with Martin Heidegger, a philosopher who also taught at Marburg. Heidegger's ideas about existentialism (which is about human existence and freedom) influenced Bultmann's thinking. However, Bultmann always said that his own ideas were about God's actions, not just human nature.
He was against the Nazi party from the very beginning. He disagreed with their control over universities and the Protestant Church. He believed it was his duty to preach that the Nazi ideas were not Christian. He especially spoke out against the "Aryan paragraph," which removed Jewish people from many jobs, including church leaders. Bultmann said this rule was "not compatible with the Christian church" because the church should treat everyone equally. He joined the Confessing Church, a group of Protestants who opposed the Nazis' attempts to control the church.
Bultmann received many awards and honors during his life. He died in Marburg on July 30, 1976.
How He Studied the Bible
Bultmann's book History of the Synoptic Tradition (published in 1921) is still very important for people who study the Bible. In this book, he used a method called "form criticism." This method helps scholars understand how different parts of the Gospels (like stories or sayings of Jesus) were first told and passed down before they were written.
Bultmann explained that the goal of form criticism is to find the original shape of a story or saying. This helps us see what might have been added later.
In 1941, Bultmann used form criticism to study the Gospel of John. He suggested that John's Gospel used an earlier source that is now lost. In the same year, he gave a famous lecture called New Testament and Mythology: The Problem of Demythologizing the New Testament Message. In this lecture, he asked people to "demythologize" the New Testament.
This meant understanding the old stories in a new way. Instead of seeing them as supernatural events, he wanted people to understand their deeper meaning for human life. He believed this would help modern people, who live in a world shaped by science, connect with Jesus's teachings.
Bultmann thought that trying to believe in an old, mythical world picture was impossible for people today. He said that our thinking is now shaped by science. He believed that simply accepting old myths without understanding them would make faith seem like a chore.
Bultmann saw faith as a strong, active choice, not just believing in old proofs. He believed that the stories about Jesus's life taught important lessons in a familiar way, like myths. He thought these stories should be explained so they could be understood today. For Bultmann, faith needed to be a real part of people's lives right now.
Even though Bultmann questioned the exact historical details in the Gospels, he strongly believed that Jesus was a real person. He wrote: "Of course the doubt as to whether Jesus really existed is unfounded and not worth refutation. No sane person can doubt that Jesus stands as founder behind the historical movement whose first distinct stage is represented by the oldest Palestinian community."
His Impact and Criticisms
Rudolf Bultmann was an excellent teacher. He encouraged his students to think for themselves. This led to new ideas within his "Bultmann school."
One of his students, Ernst Käsemann, later asked about the importance of knowing the exact historical details of Jesus for Christian faith. Other students developed their own views, sometimes different from Bultmann's. Bultmann himself took part in these discussions as long as he was healthy.
After Bultmann passed away, some scholars started to criticize his approach to the New Testament. They felt that his ideas were too focused on his own theological views. For example, Larry Hurtado, a historian of Christianity, said that Bultmann used his own beliefs to decide if ancient Christian writings were valid.
Other scholars, like John P. Meier and Bart D. Ehrman, have also pointed out issues with some of Bultmann's arguments. They suggest that while Bultmann was a pioneer in form criticism, many modern scholars no longer fully agree with all his theories.
More traditional scholars, such as Klaus Berger and Craig Blomberg, have also criticized Bultmann's skeptical view of the New Testament. They, along with others like Martin Hengel and Richard Bauckham, have supported the older idea that the Gospels were written by people who saw the events themselves.
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Rudolf Bultmann
See also
In Spanish: Rudolf Karl Bultmann para niños
