Rudolf Bultmann reshaped twentieth-century religious thought by asserting that the historical details of Jesus' life are secondary to the kerygma, or the existential proclamation of the New Testament. Rather than pursuing an elusive historical Jesus, Bultmann focused on stripping away first-century mythological structures to make the fundamental Christian message accessible to a modern, scientifically-minded audience.
Academic Formation and Career
Born in 1884 in Wiefelstede, Bultmann pursued theological studies at the universities of Tübingen, Berlin, and Marburg. He completed his degree in 1910 with a dissertation on the Epistles of St Paul under Johannes Weiss. Following brief appointments at Wrocław and Giessen, he returned to the University of Marburg in 1921 as a professor, a position he occupied until his retirement in 1951. His classroom influence extended to students such as Hans Jonas, Ernst Käsemann, and Hannah Arendt.
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Bultmann became a primary exponent of form criticism, a method utilized in his 1921 work, The History of the Synoptic Tradition, to isolate original narrative units. In 1941, he published his controversial monograph on the Gospel of John and the lecture The New Testament and Mythology. He argued that the New Testament contains a mythical world picture incompatible with the contemporary scientific age. His project of demythologization sought to interpret these elements existentially rather than literally, discarding supernatural claims to preserve the essential proclamation of faith.
Political Stance and Philosophical Influences
During his tenure at Marburg, Bultmann maintained a close dialogue with Martin Heidegger between 1923 and 1928, drawing on existentialist categories to frame his theological arguments. His career was significantly challenged by the rise of Nazism. A staunch critic of the regime's influence on the Protestant Church, he joined the Confessing Church and rejected the Aryan paragraph, which he deemed incompatible with the core tenets of Christianity. He viewed the church as an organization that made no distinctions between Jew and Gentile.
Fast facts
- Born: 1884, Wiefelstede
- Died: 1976, Marburg
- Notable work: The New Testament and Mythology
- Educated at: University of Tübingen, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, University of Marburg
- Political affiliation: Confessing Church
- Awards: Reuchlin Award (1957), Goethe-Plakette des Landes Hessen (1954)
- Professional role: Theologian and philosopher
Questions readers ask
What did Bultmann mean by demythologization?
He sought to strip away the first-century mythological framework of the New Testament to present the gospel's existential challenge to modern individuals.
Did Bultmann believe in the historical Jesus?
He argued that the historical 'whatness' of Jesus' life was less important than the simple fact that Jesus existed, preached, and died by crucifixion.
Achievements
- Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Great Cross with Star and Sash of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Notable work: The New Testament and Mythology
- Affiliated with University of Marburg, University of Giessen and University of Wrocław
- Educated at University of Tübingen, University of Marburg and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
- Worked as theologian, university teacher and philosopher