Gotthard Victor Lechler (18 April 1811 – 26 December 1888), German

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

theologian, was born at

Kloster Reichenbach Kloster is the German language, German and Scandinavian language, Scandinavian word for monastery. It may also refer to: Places * Kloster, Styria * Kloster, Denmark * Kloster, Sweden * Klošter, settlement in Slovenia People * Asbjørn Kloster ...

(near

Freudenstadt Freudenstadt ( Swabian: ''Fraidestadt'') is a town in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It is capital of the district Freudenstadt. The closest population centres are Offenburg to the west (approx. 36 km away) and Tübingen to the ea ...

) in

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Wür ...

Biography

He studied at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-W� ...

under

Ferdinand Christian Baur Ferdinand Christian Baur (21 June 1792 – 2 December 1860) was a German Protestant theologian and founder and leader of the (new) Tübingen School of theology (named for the University of Tübingen where Baur studied and taught). Following Hegel ...

, and later on, served as a deacon in the towns of

Waiblingen Waiblingen (; Swabian: ''Woeblinge'') is a town in the southwest of Germany, located in the center of the densely populated Stuttgart region, directly neighboring Stuttgart. It is the capital and largest city of the Rems-Murr district. , Waibli ...

and

Knittlingen Knittlingen is a town in the Enz district in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. It lies at the eastern edge of the Kraichgau in the centre of a rectangle that is formed by Heidelberg, Karlsruhe, Heilbronn, and Stuttgart. The centre of K ...

. In 1858 he became a pastor at the church of St Thomas and professor ordinarius of historical theology at the

University of Leipzig Leipzig University (german: Universität Leipzig), in Leipzig in Saxony, Germany, is one of the world's oldest universities and the second-oldest university (by consecutive years of existence) in Germany. The university was founded on 2 Decemb ...

. A disciple of

Johann August Wilhelm Neander Johann August Wilhelm Neander (17 January 178914 July 1850) was a German theologian and church historian. Biography Neander was born at Göttingen as David Mendel. His father, Emmanuel Mendel, is said to have been a Jewish peddler, but August a ...

, he belonged to the extreme right of the school of mediating theologians. He is important as the historian of

early Christianity Early Christianity (up to the First Council of Nicaea in 325) spread from the Levant, across the Roman Empire, and beyond. Originally, this progression was closely connected to already established Jewish centers in the Holy Land and the Je ...

and of the pre-Reformation period. Although Baur was his teacher, he did not attach himself to the Tübingen school; in reply to the contention that there are traces of a sharp conflict between two parties, Paulinists and Petrinists, he says that "we find variety coupled with agreement, and unity with difference, between

Paul Paul may refer to: *Paul (given name), a given name (includes a list of people with that name) * Paul (surname), a list of people People Christianity * Paul the Apostle (AD c.5–c.64/65), also known as Saul of Tarsus or Saint Paul, early Chr ...

and the earlier apostles; we recognize the one spirit in the many gifts."

Published works

His ''Das apostolische und das nachapostolische Zeitalter'' (1851), which developed out of a prize essay (1849), passed through three editions in Germany (3rd edition, 1885), and was translated into English
''The apostolic and post-apostolic times: their diversity and unity in life and doctrines''
2 volumes, 1886). The work which in his own opinion was his greatest, ''Johann von Wiclif und die Vorgeschichte der Reformation'' (2 volumes, 1873), appeared in English with the titl
''John Wycliffe and his English precursors''
(1878, new edition, 1884). An earlier work, ''Geschichte des englischen Deismus'' (1841), was a contribution to the study of religious thought in England. Lechler's other works include ''Geschichte der Presbyterial- und Synodal-verfassung'' (1854), ''Urkundenfunde zur Geschichte des christl. Altertums'' (1886), and biographies of

Thomas Bradwardine Thomas Bradwardine (c. 1300 – 26 August 1349) was an English cleric, scholar, mathematician, physicist, courtier and, very briefly, Archbishop of Canterbury. As a celebrated scholastic philosopher and doctor of theology, he is often cal ...

(1862) and

Robert Grosseteste Robert Grosseteste, ', ', or ') or the gallicised Robert Grosstête ( ; la, Robertus Grossetesta or '). Also known as Robert of Lincoln ( la, Robertus Lincolniensis, ', &c.) or Rupert of Lincoln ( la, Rubertus Lincolniensis, &c.). ( ; la, Robe ...

(1867). He wrote part of the commentary on the Acts of the Apostles in

Johann Peter Lange Johann Peter Lange (; 10 April 1802 in Sonnborn (now a part of Wuppertal) – 9 July 1884, Bonn), was a German Calvinist theologian of peasant origin. Biography He was born at Sonnborn near Elberfeld, and studied theology at Bonn (from 1822) ...

's ''Bibelwerk''. From 1882 he edited with

Franz Dibelius Franz Wilhelm Dibelius (6 January 1847, in Prenzlau – 20 January 1924, in Dresden) was a German Protestant theologian. He was the father of theologian Martin Dibelius (1883-1947) and an uncle to theologian Otto Dibelius (1880–1967). He studied ...

the ''Beiträge zur sächsischen Kirchengeschichte''. His biography of

Johannes Hus Jan Hus (; ; 1370 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and the inspi ...

, ''Johannes Hus ein Lebensbild aus der Vorgeschichte der Reformation'' (1889), was published after his death.HathiTrust Digital Library
(published works)

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lechler, Gotthard Victor German Lutheran theologians 19th-century German Lutheran clergy 19th-century German Protestant theologians 1811 births 1888 deaths Members of the First Chamber of the Diet of the Kingdom of Saxony People from Freudenstadt (district) Academic staff of Leipzig University University of Tübingen alumni 19th-century German male writers 19th-century German writers German male non-fiction writers