Heinrich Gustav Bassermann (12 July 1849 – 30 August 1909) was a German

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

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 ...

born in

Frankfurt am Main Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

. From 1868 to 1873 he was a student at the universities of

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...

Zurich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...

and

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

. At Jena he was a pupil of Karl August Hase (1800–1890), and in Heidelberg he studied under

Heinrich Julius Holtzmann Heinrich Holtzmann Heinrich Julius Holtzmann (7 May 1832 – 4 August 1910), German Protestant theologian, son of theologian Karl Julius Holtzmann (1804–1877), was born at Karlsruhe, where his father ultimately became prelate and counsellor to t ...

(1832–1910). During this time period he also served with a

dragoon Dragoons were originally a class of mounted infantry, who used horses for mobility, but dismounted to fight on foot. From the early 17th century onward, dragoons were increasingly also employed as conventional cavalry and trained for combat wi ...

unit in the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

(1870–71). In 1873–76 he was an assistant pastor in

Arolsen Bad Arolsen (, until 1997 Arolsen, being the German name for ''Spa'') is a small town in northern Hesse, Germany, in Waldeck-Frankenberg district. From 1655 until 1918 it served as the residence town of the Princes of Waldeck (state), Waldeck-Pyr ...

, and later worked as a lecturer of

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 ...

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 ...

at the University of Jena. Soon afterwards he was appointed an associate professor of

practical theology Practical theology is an academic discipline that examines and reflects on religious practices in order to understand the theology enacted in those practices and in order to consider how theological theory and theological practices can be more full ...

at Heidelberg, where in 1880 he became a full professor and a university preacher. Bassermann was co-founder of the ''Allgemeinen evangelisch-protestantischen Missionsvereins'', and from 1879 was editor of the "''Zeitschrift für praktische Theologie''" in collaboration with Rudolf Ehlers (1834–1908). He died in Samaden, Switzerland on 30 August 1909.

Selected publications

* ''Dreissig christliche Predigten'' (Thirty Christian sermons), 1875. * ''Handbuch der geistlichen Beredsamkeit'' (Textbook of spiritual eloquence), 1885. * ''Akademische Predigten'' (Academic sermons), 1886. * ''System der Liturgik'' (System of

liturgics Liturgics, also called liturgical studies or liturgiology, is the academic discipline dedicated to the study of liturgy (public worship rites, rituals, and practices). Liturgics scholars typically specialize in a single approach drawn from anothe ...

), 1889. * ''Geschichte der badischen Gottesdienstordnung'' (History of the Baden order of worship), 1891. * ''Sine ira et studio'', 1894. * ''Der badische Katechismus erklärt'' (The Baden

Catechism A catechism (; from , "to teach orally") is a summary or exposition of Catholic theology, doctrine and serves as a learning introduction to the Sacraments traditionally used in catechesis, or Christian religious teaching of children and adult co ...

explained), 1896–97. * ''Richard Rothe als praktischer Theologe'' (

Richard Rothe Richard Rothe (28 January 1799 – 20 August 1867) was a German Lutheran theology, theologian. Biography Richard Rothe was born at Poznań, Posen, then part of Kingdom of Prussia, Prussia. He studied theology in the universities of university of ...

as practical theologian), 1899. * ''Zur Frage des Unionskatechismus'' (On the question of Union Catechism), 1901. * ''Ueber Reform des Abendmahls'' (Regarding reform of the

Eucharist The Eucharist ( ; from , ), also called Holy Communion, the Blessed Sacrament or the Lord's Supper, is a Christianity, Christian Rite (Christianity), rite, considered a sacrament in most churches and an Ordinance (Christianity), ordinance in ...

), 1904. * ''Wie studiert man evangelische Theologie?'' (How does one study evangelical theology?), 1905. * ''Gott: Fünf Predigten'' (God: five sermons), 1905.

References

New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge
*
English translation

External links

* German Lutheran theologians 19th-century German Protestant theologians Clergy from Frankfurt Academic staff of Heidelberg University Heidelberg University alumni University of Zurich alumni University of Jena alumni 1849 births 1909 deaths 19th-century German male writers 19th-century German writers German male non-fiction writers 19th-century Lutherans {{Germany-reli-bio-stub