Lutz E. von Padberg (born 22 February 1950) is a German historian whose specialty is medieval history and in particular
the Christianization of the Germanic peoples. He is an expert on
Saint Boniface
Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
, having written biographies of the saint and studies of his veneration.
Biography
Born in
Essen
Essen () is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and Dortmund, as well as ...
, von Padberg received his doctorate from the
Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität in
Münster
Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...
in 1980. His
habilitation
Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excelle ...
from the
University of Paderborn
Paderborn University () is a public research university in Paderborn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in 1972 and 20,308 students were enrolled at the university in the winter semester 2016/2017 in 62 different degree programmes.
...
followed in 1993, where he taught until 1999 as ''
Privatdozent
''Privatdozent'' (for men) or ''Privatdozentin'' (for women), abbreviated PD, P.D. or Priv.-Doz., is an academic title conferred at some European universities, especially in German-speaking countries, to someone who holds certain formal qualifi ...
''. Since 1999 he is a professor of medieval history in Paderborn. From 1986 until 1999 he also taught as a visiting professor at the
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven) is a Catholic research university in the city of Leuven, Belgium. Founded in 1425, it is the oldest university in Belgium and the oldest university in the Low Countries.
In addition to its main camp ...
, and since 1986 he taught
historical theology
Historical theology is the study of the history of Christian doctrine. Alister McGrath defines historical theology as 'the branch of theological inquiry which aims to explore the historical development of Christian doctrines, and identify the fa ...
at the . Von Padberg retired from teaching in 2013.
Von Padberg's early publications were on theology
and feminism as a theological challenge,
and since then has published extensively on the work of Anglo-Saxon and other missionaries during the
Christianization of the Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples underwent gradual Christianization in the course of late antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. By CE 700, History of Anglo-Saxon England, England and Francia were officially Christian, and by 1100 Germanic paganism had also cea ...
. His ''Habilitationsschrift'', ''Mission und Christianisierung'', was published in 1995 by Franz Steiner Verlag, and is a synthesis of earlier research (especially by and ) on the social life of the missionaries and the social consequences of their activities; Von Padberg was praised as profoundly knowledgeable on the matter, and his book as a very useful synthesis with "exciting" interpretations.
He is an expert on the life and work of
Saint Boniface
Boniface, OSB (born Wynfreth; 675 –5 June 754) was an English Benedictines, Benedictine monk and leading figure in the Anglo-Saxon mission to the Germanic parts of Francia during the eighth century. He organised significant foundations of ...
,
and his ''Der Ragyndrudis-Codex des hl. Bonifatius'' (with ) is a comprehensive study of the
Ragyndrudis Codex, a codex which occupies an important place in the veneration of the saint.
In his 1996 monograph ''Studien zur Bonifatiusverehrung: Zur Geschichte des Codex Ragyndrudis und der Fuldaer Reliquien des Bonifatius'' von Padberg examines the so-called "protection hypothesis", the theory that the Ragyndrudis Codex was used by the saint to protect himself during his martyrdom in
Dokkum
Dokkum is a Dutch fortified city in the municipality of Noardeast-Fryslân in the province of Friesland. It has 12,669 inhabitants (February 8, 2020). The fortifications of Dokkum are well preserved and are known as the ''bolwerken'' (bulwarks) ...
in
Friesland
Friesland ( ; ; official ), historically and traditionally known as Frisia (), named after the Frisians, is a Provinces of the Netherlands, province of the Netherlands located in the country's northern part. It is situated west of Groningen (p ...
. He concludes that it is possible that this codex (with two other important codices which have also been saved for posterity and are held in
Fulda
Fulda () (historically in English called Fuld) is a city in Hesse, Germany; it is located on the river Fulda and is the administrative seat of the Fulda district (''Kreis''). In 1990, the city hosted the 30th Hessentag state festival.
Histor ...
) was indeed owned by the saint but that the physical evidence makes it unlikely that the "protection hypothesis", a recurring theme in images and ''
vitae
''Vitae'' is a Latin word, meaning or pertaining to life.
* Aqua vitae, archaic name for a concentrated aqueous solution of ethanol, distilled spirits
* Arbor vitae (disambiguation), "tree of life"
* De Brevitate Vitae (Seneca), ''De Brevitate ...
'' of the saint, is correct.
Publications
* ''Die Bibel: Grundlage für Glauben, Denken und Erkennen. Prolegomena zu einer biblischen Erkenntnislehre''. Neuhausen/Stuttgart: Hänssler, 1986.
*''Der Ragyndrudis-Codex des hl. Bonifatius. Teilfaksimileausgabe im Originalformat der Handschrift und Kommentar''. With
Hans-Walter Stork. Paderborn: Bonifatius-Verlag; Fulda: Parzeller, 1994. .
[
* ''Mission und Christianisierung: Formen und Folgen bei Angelsachsen und Franken im 7. und 8. Jahrhundert''. Franz Steiner, Stuttgart 1995, .]
References
External links
*
Lutz von Padberg's page
at Paderborn University
Bibliography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Padberg, Lutz
Living people
1950 births
German medievalists
Historians of Christianity
German male non-fiction writers
German historians of religion