Stauffer was the son of a Mennonite preacher born and raised in Worms. After attending the local grammar school, he studied Protestant theology at the universities of Halle, Berlin and Tübingen from 1921 to 1925. He then entered the service of the Mennonite churches in Hamburg and Altona. He converted to the Evangelical Church in 1928, and became assistant pastor of the Provincial-Saxon church. The New Testament scholar Ernst von Dobschütz appointed him the faculty assistant in Halle, where he graduated in 1929. He became a lecturer there in 1930.
In the 1930s Stauffer was appointed professor of New Testament Studies and director of Ancient History Studies at the University of Bonn. Although he never joined the Nazi Party, he was a long-time and leading proponent of the "German Christian" movement, which attempted to align German Protestantism with the Party's antisemitic and Führerprinzip ideological principles,[1] and he has frequently been accused of "Nazi activities."[2] Stauffer argued that it was the duty of the theological faculty to promote a relationship of trust between the church and state and "called on the theological faculties not to engage in politics, but to strengthen, through their theological work, the politische Spannkraft (political vigor) of the German Volk; the unity of the German Volk cannot exist without Jesus Christ, he wrote." He also promoted physical education as part of a theological education.[3] One of Stauffer's early contributions to the movement was his 1933 publication Unser Glaube und unsere Geschichte: Zur Begegnung zwischen Kreuz und Hakenkreuz ("Our Faith and Our History: Towards a Meeting of the Cross and the Swastika"). His relationship with the Nazi state became ambivalent, and he was removed from his post as vice-dean of the faculty of Bonn University in January 1943 for anti-fascist statements in a lecture on "Anthony and Cleopatra."[1]
After the war he (like many academics with training in Jewish texts but with compromised war-time records) escaped close scrutiny by the Allied authorities on "the naive assumption among Allied authorities… that those who had expertise in rabbinical texts must have been sympathetic to Judaism, or at least uninvolved in Nazi activities."[2] Stauffer was elected Dean of the Faculty of Protestant Theology and restored the Bonn faculty restore, but resigned at the first meeting of the Faculty on June 5, 1946, over questions of his wartime activities. Evidently after a review of his writings, he was cleared. On December 8, 1947, however, he advised the rector that he would follow a call to Erlangen in 1948 to a newly founded chair of New Testament Studies. In 1957 he admitted the anti-semitic ideas of the German Christians by stating: "The primary role of Jesus research is clear: De-Judaizing the Jesus tradition."[4] Stauffer became professor emeritus in 1967.
Stauffer had two daughters and two sons. His third child followed him in his theological career. His son Dietrich became a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Cologne.
Studies
Early Christianity
He undertook much research into the relationship between the Roman sources and early Christianity. He showed that the Easterliturgy does not follow the Gospel but the funerary ritual of Julius Caesar[5] and that the Clementia Caesaris was the pre-Christian forerunner of Christ's forgiveness.
Universalism
Stauffer was a Christian universalist, believing that ultimately all people would be saved. He believed that God's irresistible grace and will are destined to overcome even the most obdurate opposition.[1] He also taught that divine punishment after death was real, but that it was not arbitrary or vindictive, but remedial and limited as to duration, essentially Purgatory.[2]
In 1933, Stauffer put forth a thesis regarding the role of martyrdom in Christian theology (specifically Anabaptist theology).[6][7]
According to Stauffer, in the period of post-canonical Judaism (since about 175 B.C.) a new viewpoint impressed itself on the then flourishing apocryphal literature: the idea that suffering and martyrdom for one's faith are the very meaning of the happenings of history, for a double reason: (a) they represent a causal necessity in the great fight between the divine and the satanic order. The great Adversary does not allow a pure realization of God's plan, at least not in this present aeon or world period. (b) Such suffering, however, serves at the same time a very great purpose: it ushers in the new aeon. Death becomes victory, martyrdom is an expiating sacrifice, and Satan will be overcome only by such nonresistant suffering. That was the teaching of Daniel 3 (the three men in the furnace) and of the Second and Third Book of the Maccabees (e.g., the story of the mother and her seven sons). In short, the apocalyptic, pre-Christian literature offers this double justification of martyrdom: causally it is inescapable, and teleologically ("what for") it is absolutely meaningful.
The New Testament continued this apocalyptic trend even further; the Cross becoming the very center not only of salvation but also the vindication of all martyrdom for conscience' sake. In fact the idea of Nachfolge or discipleship would almost be without meaning if it were not connected with such earthly tribulations. The believer's conflict with the "world" is the surest indication that the disciple is true to the master, testifying for another reality and preparing for the coming of the kingdom. Two figures of speech soon became generally accepted: the disciple must become a "soldier" [occasionally also called a "knight"] of Christ who "fights the good fight" to the bitter end, and secondly, baptism is called death just as death is a sort of baptism by blood.
Bibliography
Christus und die Caesaren, Hamburg 1952
Christ and the Caesars. Historical sketches (translated by Kaethe Gregor Smith and Ronald Gregor Smith). London: SCM-Press, 1955
Jerusalem und Rom im Zeitalter Jesu Christi, Bern 1957
Jesus: Gestalt und Geschichte, 1957
New Testament Theology, 1963
References
^ abTobias, Nicklas 2011, "The Bible and Anti-Semitism" in The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible ed. Michael Lieb, Emma Mason and Jonathan Robert Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, p. 276
^ abHeschel, Susannah 2005, "Confronting the Past: Post-1945 German Protestant Theology and the Fate of the Jews" in The Protestant-Jewish Conundrum: Studies in Contemporary Jewry ed. Jonathan Frankel and Ezra Mendelsohn, vol. XXIV, Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, p. 58.
^Rabinbach, Anson and Bialas, Wolfgang 2014, Nazi Germany and The Humanities: How German Academics Embraced Nazism New York: Oneworld Publications, p. 375.
^Klee, Ernst 2005, Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich 2nd ed.: Frankfurt am Main: Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, p. 598.
^Cf. also Wilhelm Kierdorf, Laudatio Funebris, Meisenheim am Glan 1980, p. 153 n. 14.
^Stauffer, Ethelbert (1933). "Täufertum und Märtyrertheologie". Zeitschrift für Kirchengeschichte (in German): 545–98.
^Stauffer, Ethelbert (1945). "The Anabaptist Theology of Martyrdom". MQR. XIX: 179–214.
August 21, 2023
ethelbert, stauffer, 1902, friedelsheim, august, 1979, erlangen, german, protestant, theologian, numismatist, contents, life, studies, early, christianity, universalism, martyrdom, christian, theology, bibliography, referenceslife, editstauffer, mennonite, pre. Ethelbert Stauffer May 8 1902 in Friedelsheim August 1 1979 in Erlangen was a German Protestant theologian and numismatist Contents 1 Life 2 Studies 2 1 Early Christianity 2 2 Universalism 2 3 Martyrdom in Christian theology 3 Bibliography 4 ReferencesLife EditStauffer was the son of a Mennonite preacher born and raised in Worms After attending the local grammar school he studied Protestant theology at the universities of Halle Berlin and Tubingen from 1921 to 1925 He then entered the service of the Mennonite churches in Hamburg and Altona He converted to the Evangelical Church in 1928 and became assistant pastor of the Provincial Saxon church The New Testament scholar Ernst von Dobschutz appointed him the faculty assistant in Halle where he graduated in 1929 He became a lecturer there in 1930 In the 1930s Stauffer was appointed professor of New Testament Studies and director of Ancient History Studies at the University of Bonn Although he never joined the Nazi Party he was a long time and leading proponent of the German Christian movement which attempted to align German Protestantism with the Party s antisemitic and Fuhrerprinzip ideological principles 1 and he has frequently been accused of Nazi activities 2 Stauffer argued that it was the duty of the theological faculty to promote a relationship of trust between the church and state and called on the theological faculties not to engage in politics but to strengthen through their theological work the politische Spannkraft political vigor of the German Volk the unity of the German Volk cannot exist without Jesus Christ he wrote He also promoted physical education as part of a theological education 3 One of Stauffer s early contributions to the movement was his 1933 publication Unser Glaube und unsere Geschichte Zur Begegnung zwischen Kreuz und Hakenkreuz Our Faith and Our History Towards a Meeting of the Cross and the Swastika His relationship with the Nazi state became ambivalent and he was removed from his post as vice dean of the faculty of Bonn University in January 1943 for anti fascist statements in a lecture on Anthony and Cleopatra 1 After the war he like many academics with training in Jewish texts but with compromised war time records escaped close scrutiny by the Allied authorities on the naive assumption among Allied authorities that those who had expertise in rabbinical texts must have been sympathetic to Judaism or at least uninvolved in Nazi activities 2 Stauffer was elected Dean of the Faculty of Protestant Theology and restored the Bonn faculty restore but resigned at the first meeting of the Faculty on June 5 1946 over questions of his wartime activities Evidently after a review of his writings he was cleared On December 8 1947 however he advised the rector that he would follow a call to Erlangen in 1948 to a newly founded chair of New Testament Studies In 1957 he admitted the anti semitic ideas of the German Christians by stating The primary role of Jesus research is clear De Judaizing the Jesus tradition 4 Stauffer became professor emeritus in 1967 Stauffer had two daughters and two sons His third child followed him in his theological career His son Dietrich became a Professor of Theoretical Physics at the University of Cologne Studies EditEarly Christianity Edit He undertook much research into the relationship between the Roman sources and early Christianity He showed that the Easter liturgy does not follow the Gospel but the funerary ritual of Julius Caesar 5 and that the Clementia Caesaris was the pre Christian forerunner of Christ s forgiveness Universalism Edit Stauffer was a Christian universalist believing that ultimately all people would be saved He believed that God s irresistible grace and will are destined to overcome even the most obdurate opposition 1 He also taught that divine punishment after death was real but that it was not arbitrary or vindictive but remedial and limited as to duration essentially Purgatory 2 Martyrdom in Christian theology Edit Main article Christian martyrs In 1933 Stauffer put forth a thesis regarding the role of martyrdom in Christian theology specifically Anabaptist theology 6 7 According to Stauffer in the period of post canonical Judaism since about 175 B C a new viewpoint impressed itself on the then flourishing apocryphal literature the idea that suffering and martyrdom for one s faith are the very meaning of the happenings of history for a double reason a they represent a causal necessity in the great fight between the divine and the satanic order The great Adversary does not allow a pure realization of God s plan at least not in this present aeon or world period b Such suffering however serves at the same time a very great purpose it ushers in the new aeon Death becomes victory martyrdom is an expiating sacrifice and Satan will be overcome only by such nonresistant suffering That was the teaching of Daniel 3 the three men in the furnace and of the Second and Third Book of the Maccabees e g the story of the mother and her seven sons In short the apocalyptic pre Christian literature offers this double justification of martyrdom causally it is inescapable and teleologically what for it is absolutely meaningful The New Testament continued this apocalyptic trend even further the Cross becoming the very center not only of salvation but also the vindication of all martyrdom for conscience sake In fact the idea of Nachfolge or discipleship would almost be without meaning if it were not connected with such earthly tribulations The believer s conflict with the world is the surest indication that the disciple is true to the master testifying for another reality and preparing for the coming of the kingdom Two figures of speech soon became generally accepted the disciple must become a soldier occasionally also called a knight of Christ who fights the good fight to the bitter end and secondly baptism is called death just as death is a sort of baptism by blood Bibliography EditChristus und die Caesaren Hamburg 1952 Christ and the Caesars Historical sketches translated by Kaethe Gregor Smith and Ronald Gregor Smith London SCM Press 1955 Jerusalem und Rom im Zeitalter Jesu Christi Bern 1957 Jesus Gestalt und Geschichte 1957 New Testament Theology 1963References Edit a b Tobias Nicklas 2011 The Bible and Anti Semitism in The Oxford Handbook of the Reception History of the Bible ed Michael Lieb Emma Mason and Jonathan Robert Oxford UK Oxford University Press p 276 a b Heschel Susannah 2005 Confronting the Past Post 1945 German Protestant Theology and the Fate of the Jews in The Protestant Jewish Conundrum Studies in Contemporary Jewry ed Jonathan Frankel and Ezra Mendelsohn vol XXIV Oxford and New York Oxford University Press p 58 Rabinbach Anson and Bialas Wolfgang 2014 Nazi Germany and The Humanities How German Academics Embraced Nazism New York Oneworld Publications p 375 Klee Ernst 2005 Das Personenlexikon zum Dritten Reich 2nd ed Frankfurt am Main Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag p 598 Cf also Wilhelm Kierdorf Laudatio Funebris Meisenheim am Glan 1980 p 153 n 14 Stauffer Ethelbert 1933 Taufertum und Martyrertheologie Zeitschrift fur Kirchengeschichte in German 545 98 Stauffer Ethelbert 1945 The Anabaptist Theology of Martyrdom MQR XIX 179 214 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Ethelbert Stauffer amp oldid 1153576473, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
