Bible Knowledge Graph

Rudolf Bultmann

Entity ID:

rudolf-bultmann

Long Name:

Bultmann, Rudolf, 1884-1976

Short Name:

Rudolf Bultmann

Disambiguation String:

German NT scholar and theologian

Entity Type:

person

Entity Subtype:

author

Wikipedia

Summary:

Rudolf Karl Bultmann (20 August 1884 – 30 July 1976) was a German Lutheran theologian and professor of New Testament at the University of Marburg. He was one of the major figures of early 20th century biblical studies and a prominent voice in liberal Christianity.

Bultmann is known for his belief that the historical analysis of the New Testament is both futile and unnecessary, given that the earliest Christian literature showed little interest in specific locations. Bultmann argued that all that matters is the "thatness", not the "whatness" of Jesus, i.e. only that Jesus existed, preached and died by crucifixion matters, not what happened throughout his life.

Bultmann's approach relied on his concept of demythology, and interpreted the mythological elements in the New Testament existentially. Bultmann contended that only faith in the kerygma, or proclamation, of the New Testament was necessary for Christian faith, not any particular facts regarding the historical Jesus.

Viaf ID:

34464958

DB Pedia ID:

Rudolf_Bultmann

Biblical Status:

canonical

Is An Individual:

Yes

Is Published:

Yes

Birth Date:

August 20, 1884

Death Date:

July 30, 1976

Occupation:

German NT scholar and theologian

Works: