Franz Xaver Reithmayr (16 March 1809 – 26 January 1872) was a German Catholic

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

who specialized in

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 ...

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

. He was born in Illkofen, located near Regensburg. He studied theology in Regensburg and at the

University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany's sixth-oldest university in continuous operatio ...

. In 1832 he received his

ordination Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform v ...

, and for a period of time taught classes at the Latin School in Regensburg. Afterwards, he returned to

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...

and continued his studies under theologian

Johann Adam Möhler Johann Adam Möhler (6 May 1796 – 12 April 1838) was a German Roman Catholic theologian. He was born at Igersheim in the Bailiwick of Franconia of the Teutonic Order (from 1809 on part of Württemberg), and after studying philosophy and theolo ...

(1796-1838), who was a profound influence to Reithmayr's career. After Möhler's death in 1838, he edited and published his mentor's "''Patrologie oder christliche Literärgeschichte''" (

Patrology Patristics or patrology is the study of the early Christian writers who are designated Church Fathers. The names derive from the combined forms of Latin ''pater'' and Greek ''patḗr'' (father). The period is generally considered to run from ...

or Christian literary history). In 1836 he earned his doctorate in theology, and in 1841 was appointed a full professor of New Testament

at the Catholic Theological Faculty of the University of Munich, a position he maintained until his death. In 1869 he became an editor of the "''Bibliothek der Kirchenväter''" (Library of the Church Fathers).Zeitschrift für die gesammte lutherische Theologie und Kirche, Volume 33
/ref> The following are some of his better literary efforts: * ''Commentar zum Briefe an die Römer'' (Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans), Regensburg (1843). * ''Einleitung in die canonischen Bücher des Neuen Bundes'' (Introduction to the canon of the New Testament books), Regensburg (1852). * ''Commentar zum Briefe an die Galater'' (Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians), Münich (1865). * ''Lehrbuch der biblischen Hermeneutik'' (Textbook of Biblical

hermeneutics Hermeneutics () is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. Hermeneutics is more than interpretative principles or methods used when immediate ...

), (1874); edited and published by Valentin Thalhofer (1825-1891).

References

Cyclopaedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature
(biography) 1809 births 1872 deaths People from Regensburg (district) 19th-century German Catholic theologians Academic staff of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich German male non-fiction writers 19th-century male writers {{RC-bio-stub