Adolf Von Harnack: Liberal Theology at Its Height

Adolf von Harnack was the most outstanding student of early Christianity in modern times and one of the most persuasive exponents of liberal theology. Although subsequent scholarship has strongly challenged many of his conclusions, the questions he raised remain central to much theological endeavor.

Despite their critique of Harnack, both Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer two of his most eminent students recognized the immense contribution he made to Christian theology in the modern era.

This volume concentrates on the key texts and ideas in Harnack’s thought. It presents the essential Harnack for students and the general reader.

Martin Rumscheidt’s introductory essay and notes on the selected texts set Harnack in his historical context, chart the development of his thought, and indicate the significance of his theology in the development of Christian theology as a whole.

About the Author

Martin Rumscheidt is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada and retired professor of historical theology at the University of Windsor, Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Charles University, Prague. He is the translator of Act and Being (1996) in Dietrich Bonhoeffer Works, English edition, and cotranslator with the late Barbara Rumscheidt of Soelles Against the Wind (1999) and The Silent Cry.