Hermann Gunkel

Hermann Gunkel (* May 23, 1862 in Jump, Kingdom of Hannover, † March 11, 1932 in Halle) was a German Protestant theologian ( Old Testament ).

Life

Hermann Gunkel was born as the son of the first pastor in Springe. Karl Gunkel was his brother. After graduation he studied theology in Göttingen, then casting and finally back Göttingen. In Göttingen he won many events at Albrecht Ritschl, against which partitioning then a circle around Albert Eichhorn (1856-1926) was born, was later to emerge from the so-called Religionsgeschichtliche school.

Gunkel was awarded his doctorate and habilitation at the same time in 1888 in Göttingen for Biblical Theology and Exegesis, and then worked as a lecturer in New Testament. In 1889 he umhabilitieren as a lecturer on exegesis of the Old Testament to Halle, where it the Prussian Secretary Friedrich Althoff had ( without its motives were still visible today ) is recommended.

1895 Gunkel was an associate professor of the Old Testament in Berlin, but undertook some lecture tours and held summer courses to improve his financial situation. In the same year of creation and chaos has been published. An application for the post of primary school teacher failed. It seems that opposes the Empress against Gunkel. 1901 was the first edition of the Genesis commentary on the market.

It was not until 1907 Gunkel was then appointed a full professor in Giessen. 1913 awarded him an honorary doctorate from the University of Oslo - in gratitude he dedicated to the Collegium Academicum his anthology " speeches and essays ." In 1920 he went on the initiative of the Under Secretary in the Ministry of Prussia Carl Heinrich Becker, who was also responsible for the appointment of Hugo Gress 's to Berlin again to Halle. Here he wrote his Psalms commentary. For health reasons Gunkel 1927 emeritus there, but still took a teaching position of Old Testament literature. The introduction to the Psalms was his last major project, which should be led by Joachim Begrich to an end.

Until then Gunkel had become an outstanding representative of the history of religions school. Besides his scientific work on the Old and New Testaments, he had developed the form and genre Historical method in theology in demarcation and extension to liters Argentinas Prehistoric method was influenced by Wilhelm Wundt, explores the importance of myths and legends (especially in the Old Testament) and the tale discovered as Old Testament genus.

However, a large part of his literary production was written in the Enlightenment effort to a wider audience. As editor Gunkel accompanied the series research on religion and literature of the Old and New Testaments ( FRLANT ) and the first two editions of the encyclopedia of religion in history and the present ( RGG ). Hermann Gunkel died on March 11, 1932 in Halle.