Hermann Detering

Hermann Detering (* 1953 in Oldenburg ( Oldenburg) ) is a German Protestant theologian. He is assigned to the radical critique or criticism of religion and received attention for his doubt about the historical existence of Jesus and to the authenticity of Paul's letters.

Life

After high school he studied German, classical philology and theology in Berlin. In 1982 he began to work as a pastor, an activity that he carried out until 2009. In 1991 he received his doctorate at Walter Schmithals with a thesis on the Dutch Radical Criticism.

Detering operates the website radikalkritik.de.

His latest book, The joys of the world and the art of renunciation is, end November 2013 published in Gütersloh publishing house.

Work

Detering is representative of the radical critique. This was about through his in his book The Fake Paul. Early Christianity in the Twilight voiced doubts about the authenticity of Paul's letters. This he described as forgeries from the 2nd century, Paul identified with the historical figure of Simon Magus. He also criticized in False witnesses: Besides Jesus Christian testimonies to the test the assumption of a historical existence of Jesus. The so-called extra-Biblical evidence of Jesus, so Detering, were unreliable and would not prove the existence of Jesus.

• Paul's letters without Paul?. The letters of Paul in the Dutch Radical Criticism, 1992
• The fake Paul. Early Christianity in the Twilight, 1995
• False witnesses: Except for Jesus Christian testimonies to the test, 2011
• The joys of the world and the art of renunciation, 2013

Reception

Gerd Lüdemann wrote in Heretics: The Other Side of Early Christianity, Detention ring in the fake Paul. Early Christianity in the Twilight expressed theses were " inappropriate and contradicted by the existing sources ".

Also, in compliance with Detering of the Humanist Press the Giordano Bruno Foundation. He was also mentioned by Eduard Lohse in his book Paul