Briefe / Hermann Gunkel - Eine Biographie

Julius Wellhausen (1844-1918), initially a Professor of Old Testament Studies at the Faculty of Theology in Greifswald and then a Professor of Semitic Studies at the Faculties of Philosophy in Halle, Marburg and Göttingen, formulated the modern view of the history of ancient Israel and was also a pioneer in the fields of pre- and early Islamic Arabia and the New Testament. His works have been given frequent praise for their unique literary qualities, which are also evident here in these letters, almost all of which are being published for the first time. This volume contains more than 1,000 letters; among the recipients are names such as F. Althoff, A. v. Harnack, W. Herrmann, A. Jülicher, A. Kuenen, P. de Lagarde, E. Littmann, Th. Mommsen, Th. Nöldeke, Ed. Schwartz, A. Schweitzer and W.R. Smith. The subjects dealt with are diverse and transcend the fields of academia.

In the generation after Julius Wellhausen, Hermann Gunkel was one of the most important exponents of Protestant biblical studies. As one of the co-founders and main advocates of the history of religions school, he established approaches to the Old as well as the New Testament which were highly innovative from a methodological perspective. Ultimately he set a milestone in research history with each of his major publications. It is no coincidence that his commentary on Genesis and his diverse interpretations of the Psalms became classics of Protestant biblical exegesis in the 20th century. His name is inextricably linked to the examination of biblical texts from the perspective of form criticism. Drawing on previously unexplored archive material, Konrad Hammann shows the extent to which Gunkel's life and work were part of his time and the research discourses of his profession.

Both volumes are available as a set.