Gustav Adolf Deissmann (7 November 1866 – 5 April 1937) was a German Protestant theologian, best known for his leading work on the

Greek language Greek ( el, label= Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy ( Calabria and Salento), southe ...

used in the

New Testament The New Testament grc, Ἡ Καινὴ Διαθήκη, transl. ; la, Novum Testamentum. (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus, as well as events in first-century Chri ...

, which he showed was the '' koine'', or commonly used tongue of the

Hellenistic In Classical antiquity, the Hellenistic period covers the time in Mediterranean history after Classical Greece, between the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC and the emergence of the Roman Empire, as signified by the Battle of Actium in ...

world of that time.

Life

Deissmann was professor of theology at the

Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...

(1897–1908), and then at the Friedrich Wilhelms University of Berlin (1908–1935). He was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, and held eight honorary doctorates from 6 different countries. In 1904 he founded, together with Albrecht Dieterich, the ''Eranos'' circle in Heidelberg. Members included

Ernst Troeltsch Ernst Peter Wilhelm Troeltsch (; ; 17 February 1865 – 1 February 1923) was a German liberal Protestant theologian, a writer on the philosophy of religion and the philosophy of history, and a classical liberal politician. He was a member of ...

, Max Weber,

Eberhard Gothein Eberhard H. Gothein (29 October 1853 in Środa Śląska, Neumarkt – 13 November 1923 in Berlin) was a German economist and historian. Gothein was a professor at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, University of Karlsruhe (1885), University of Bonn ...

Georg Jellinek Georg Jellinek (16 June 1851 – 12 January 1911) was a German public lawyer and was considered to be "''the'' exponent of public law in Austria“. Life From 1867, Jellinek studied law, history of art and philosophy at the University of Vienna ...

Karl Rathgen Karl Rathgen (December 6, 1856, Weimar - November 4, 1921, Hamburg) was a German economist. He was the first Chancellor of the University of Hamburg. After studying in Strasbourg, Halle, Leipzig and Berlin, he passed the first state examination ...

, and Wilhelm Windelband. In Berlin, Deissmann's academic focus began to shift from Greek philology to the ecumenical movement, church reform and, significantly, international ''Völkerverständigung'' (i.e. peace-promoting mutual understanding between nations and cultures). From 1914 until 1922 he produced a regular semi-political international communiqué, the ''Evangelischer Wochenbrief'' (1914–1921), with its English equivalent ''Protestant Weekly Letters'' (1914–1917). Its target audience was primarily influential German and American Christians, and it provided a forum for the advancement of peace and understanding among nations. In 1925 Deissmann became aware of the disintegration of ancient Ephesus, a historically important archaeological site, partly excavated before World War I under the auspices of the Austrian Archaeological Institute. Deissmann campaigned single-handedly for several years, both on a national and international level, to raise awareness of the plight of Ephesus, and managed to organise funding for the archaeological work to recommence in 1926, and continued annually until 1929.A. Gerber, ‘Gustav Adolf Deissmann (1866-1937) and the revival of archaeological excavations at Ephesus after the First World War’, ''Jahresheft des österreichischen archäologischen Institutes'', 75, 2006 [2007], pp. 39-46. Deissmann died on 5 April 1937, in Wünsdorf near Berlin, where he is buried in the local cemetery.

Selected works by Deissmann

* * * * * * * * * * * * *

Notes

External links

Gustav Adolf Deissmann Protestant Weekly letter, 1914-1916
at Pitts Theology Library, Candler School of Theology *
On Deissmann's linguistic ideas
by James Hope Moulton, 1914
Schaff-Herzog article, ''Hellenistic Greek'' by Deissmann
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Deissmann, Gustav Adolf 1866 births 1937 deaths People from Rhein-Lahn-Kreis People from Hesse-Nassau 20th-century German Protestant theologians National-Social Association politicians German biblical scholars New Testament scholars Scholars of Koine Greek University of Tübingen alumni Humboldt University of Berlin alumni University of Marburg faculty Heidelberg University faculty Humboldt University of Berlin faculty German male non-fiction writers German papyrologists Archaeologists from Rhineland-Palatinate

Life

Selected works by Deissmann

See also

Notes

Further reading

External links