This book investigates the relationship between nineteenth-century German theological
Wissenschaft
and the emergence of confessional Lutheranism. It argues that the first generation of confessional Lutherans contributed to the discourse over the nature of theological
. Part I examines the intellectual context of nineteenth-century theological
. Chapter 2 presents Kant’s and Schelling’s conceptions of
in relationship to theology. Chapter 3 analyzes Schleiermacher’s contribution to the debate about the integrity of theology as a
, and concludes by considering the developments represented by F.C. Baur and Albrecht Ritschl. Part II investigates the different Lutheran approaches to theological
represented by Adolf Harleß, August Vilmar, and Johannes von Hofmann. Chapter 4 examines Harleß’s Theologische Encyklopädie as the first expression towards a confessional Lutheran
. Chapter 5 highlights Vilmar’s antagonistic posture towards modern German theology, while attending to his construction of an alternative approach to modern theology. Chapters 6 and 7 contextualize Hofmann against the landscape of German theology, while situating his theological
within his contentious work
Der Schriftbeweis
. Chapter 8 reflects upon these efforts at establishing a theological
in service to the church and the university.