VON HARNACK DEAD

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 219, 12 June 1930, Page 11

VON HARNACK DEAD

Theologian and Historian (Rec. June 11, 7.30 p.m.) London, June 11 The death is announced at Heidelberg of Professor Adolf von-Harnack, the modernist theologian and historian. Adolf Harnack was born in 1851 at Dorpat, in Russia, where his father, Theodosius Harnack, held a professorship of pastoral theology. He pursued his studies at Dorpat and at Leipzig, and soon after taking his degree he began lecturing on such subjects as Gnosticism and the Apocalypse. These lectures attracted considerable attention and in 1876 Harnack was appointed professor extraordinarius. In the same year he began the publication, in conjunction with O. L. Von Gebbardt and T. Zalln, of an edition of the works of the Apostolic Fathers. Three years later he was called to Giessen as professor ordinarlus of church history. In 1881 Harnack published a work on Monasticism. Four years later he published the first volume of his epochmaking work, “Lehrbuch der Dogmengeschichte,” in which he traced the rise of dogma. In 1886 Harnack was called to Marburg, and two years later, in spite of violent opposition from the conservative section of the Church authorities, to Berlin. Here, somewhat against his will, he was drawn into a controversy on the' Apostles’ Creed. At Berlin Harnack continued his literary labours, and in 1893 he published i. history of early Christian literature. I 1900 appeared his popular lectures, the English translation of which, entitled “What is Christianity?’\ was published the following year. Later there followed some interesting and important New Testament studies. Harnack, both as lecturer and writer, was one of the most prolific of modern critical scholars, and trained up in his seminary a whole generation of teachers. The Kaiser conferred on him the distinction of “von” In 1914.