Karl Schwarz (19 November 1812 – 25 March 1885) was a German

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

theologian.

Life

Birth and early life

He was born at

Wiek, Rügen Wiek () is a municipality in the Vorpommern-Rügen district, in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. The body of the well-known American Brigadier General Nathan Bedford Forrest III, killed while on an air raid on Kiel Kiel ( ; ) is the capital ...

. His father, Theodor Schwarz, pastor at Wiek, was well known as a preacher, and as the writer of a number of popular works (parables, romances, etc.) under the pseudonym "Theodor Melas".

University studies

Karl Schwarz studied theology and philosophy at Halle, and afterwards at

Bonn Bonn () is a federal city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, located on the banks of the Rhine. With a population exceeding 300,000, it lies about south-southeast of Cologne, in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ruhr region. This ...

(1831) and

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

(1832–1834). At Berlin he came under the influence of

Schleiermacher Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (; ; 21 November 1768 – 12 February 1834) was a German Reformed theologian, philosopher, and biblical scholar known for his attempt to reconcile the criticisms of the Enlightenment with traditional ...

and

G. W. F. Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a 19th-century German idealism, German idealist. His influence extends across a wide range of topics from metaphysical issues in epistemology and ontology, to political phi ...

, whose influences are seen in his work ''Das Wesen der Religion'' (1847). In 1837 he was imprisoned for six months on account of his advanced political opinions. After his release he helped (from 1838) with the ''Hallische Jahrbücher''.

Later life and distinctions

From 1843 to 1845, he lectured at Halle, and was then suspended by the government. In 1849, however, he was appointed professor extraordinarius, and later received a number of distinctions (in 1858 chief court preacher, etc.). Schwarz took an important part in the founding and directing of the German '' Protestantenverein'' and became an eminent exponent of liberal theology. His work ''Zur Geschichte der neuesten Theologie'' (1856, 4th edition 1869) is a valuable source for the history of theology in Germany. His other works include ''Lessing als Theologe'' (1854) and ''Grundriss der christlichen Lehre'' (1873, 5th edition 1876). In his memory, a Karl-Schwarz-Stiftung was founded in connection with the theological faculty at the

University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The university was established in 1558 and is cou ...

References

* * G. Rudloff, ''Karl Schwarz'' (1887); * F. Hummel, ''Zur Bedeutung der Schrift von Karl Schwarz: Uber das Wesen der Religion'' (1890); * Herzog-Hauck, '' Realencyklopädie''. {{DEFAULTSORT:Schwarz, Karl 1812 births 1885 deaths People from Vorpommern-Rügen 19th-century German Protestant theologians Members of the Frankfurt Parliament People from the Province of Pomerania Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg alumni Academic staff of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg University of Bonn alumni Humboldt University of Berlin alumni 19th-century German male writers German male non-fiction writers