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), souther ...

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 Chris ...

, which he showed was the ''

koine Koine Greek (; Koine el, ἡ κοινὴ διάλεκτος, hē koinè diálektos, the common dialect; ), also known as Hellenistic Greek, common Attic, the Alexandrian dialect, Biblical Greek or New Testament Greek, was the common supra-reg ...

'', 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-Württember ...

(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 Albrecht Dieterich (2 May 1866 – 6 May 1908) was a German classical philologist and scholar of religion born in Hersfeld. Academic background He studied at the Universities of Leipzig and Bonn, where at the latter he was a student of Hermann ...

, 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 Maximilian Karl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German sociologist, historian, jurist and political economist, who is regarded as among the most important theorists of the development of modern Western society. His ideas p ...

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 Wilhelm Windelband (; ; 11 May 1848 – 22 October 1915) was a German philosopher of the Baden School. Biography Windelband was born the son of a Prussian official in Potsdam. He studied at Jena, Berlin, and Göttingen. Philosophical work Win ...

. 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 Ephesus (; grc-gre, Ἔφεσος, Éphesos; tr, Efes; may ultimately derive from hit, 𒀀𒉺𒊭, Apaša) was a city in ancient Greece on the coast of Ionia, southwest of present-day Selçuk in İzmir Province, Turkey. It was built i ...

, 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

007 The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...

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 Candler School of Theology is one of seven graduate schools at Emory University, located in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. A university-based school of theology, Candler educates ministers, scholars of religion and other leaders. It is also o ...

*
On Deissmann's linguistic ideas
by

James Hope Moulton The Reverend James Hope Moulton (11 October 1863 – 9 April 1917) was a British non-conformist divine. He was also a philologist and made a special study of Zoroastrianism. Biography His family had a strong Methodist background. His father w ...

, 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