Joseph Langen (3 June 1837 – 13 July 1901) was a German

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

, who was instrumental for the German

Old Catholic The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches, or Old Catholic movement, designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the Great C ...

movement. Langen was born at

Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...

, studied at

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

, and was ordained priest for the Roman Catholic Church in 1859. He was nominated professor extraordinary at the

University of Bonn The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...

in 1864, and a professor in ordinary of the

exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (philosophy), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern us ...

of the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

in 1867—an office which he held until his death. He was one of the band of professors who in 1870 supported

Döllinger Dollinger and Döllinger are surnames of German origin. They may refer to: * Genora Johnson Dollinger (1913–1995), American labor organizer * Günther Dollinger (born 1960), German physicist and professor * Ignaz Döllinger (1770–1841), German ...

in his resistance to the Vatican decrees, and was excommunicated along with Döllinger, Johann Nepomuk Huber, Johann Friedrich,

Franz Heinrich Reusch Franz Heinrich Reusch (4 December 1825 – 3 March 1900) was a German Old Catholic theologian who was excommunicated for his refusal to adopt certain church dogma. He was born at Brilon, in Westphalia, studied general literature at Paderbor ...

, Joseph Hubert Reinkens and others, for refusing to accept them. In 1878, in consequence of the permission given to priests to marry, Langen ceased to identify himself with the

movement, but was not reconciled with the Roman Catholic Church. His first work was an inquiry into the authorship of the ''Commentary on St Paul's Epistles and the Treatise on Biblical Questions'', ascribed to

Saint Ambrose Ambrose of Milan (; 4 April 397), venerated as Saint Ambrose, was a theologian and statesman who served as Bishop of Milan from 374 to 397. He expressed himself prominently as a public figure, fiercely promoting Roman Christianity against Ari ...

and

Augustine of Hippo Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...

respectively. In 1868 he published an ''Introduction to the New Testament''. He also published works on the ''Last Days of the Life of Jesus'', on ''Judaism in the Time of Christ'', on ''John of Damascus'' (1879) and an ''Examination of the Vatican Dogma in the Light of Patristic Exegesis of the New Testament''. But he is chiefly famous for his ''Geschichte der Römischen Kirche'' (''History of the Church of Rome to the Pontificate of Innocent III'') (4 vols, 1881–1893), a work of sound scholarship, based directly upon the authorities, the most important sources being woven carefully into the text. He also contributed largely to the ''internationale theologische Zeitschrift'', a review started in 1893 by the Old Catholics to promote the union of several National Churches on the basis of the councils of the Undivided Church, and admitting articles in German, French and English. Among other subjects, he wrote on the School of Hierotheus, on ''Romish falsifications of the Greek Fathers'', on

Pope Leo XIII Pope Leo XIII (; born Gioacchino Vincenzo Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2March 181020July 1903) was head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 until his death in July 1903. He had the fourth-longest reign of any pope, behind those of Peter the Ap ...

, on Liberal

Ultramontanism Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented b ...

, on the ''Papal Teaching in regard to Morals'', on Vincent of Lerins and he carried on a controversy with Professor

Willibald Beyschlag Johann Heinrich Christoph Willibald Beyschlag (5 September 1823 – 25 November 1900 in Halle an der Saale) was a German theology, theologian from Frankfurt am Main. Biography He studied theology at the Universities of University of Bonn, B ...

, of the German

Evangelical Church Evangelicalism (), also called evangelical Christianity or evangelical Protestantism, is a worldwide, interdenominational movement within Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes evangelism, or the preaching and spreading of th ...

, on the respective merits of

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

and

Old Catholicism The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches, or Old Catholic movement, designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undiv ...

regarded as a basis for teaching the Christian faith. An attack of

apoplexy Apoplexy () refers to the rupture of an internal organ and the associated symptoms. Informally or metaphorically, the term ''apoplexy'' is associated with being furious, especially as "apoplectic". Historically, it described what is now known as a ...

put an end to his teaching career and hastened his death. He died in Bonn.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Langen, Joseph 1837 births 1901 deaths Clergy from Cologne German Old Catholic theologians People excommunicated by the Catholic Church University of Bonn alumni Academic staff of the University of Bonn German male non-fiction writers 19th-century German Catholic theologians 19th-century German male writers 19th-century German Christian clergy