The Anthem Companion to Ernst Troeltsch

Description

The first collection of essays in English devoted to the thinking of Ernst Troeltsch.

‘The Anthem Companion to Ernst Troeltsch’ is a collection of eight essays devoted to many aspects of Troeltsch’s thinking. Each of the contributors is a well-respected scholar who has written extensively on Ernst Troeltsch. This collection is, therefore, groundbreaking in two ways: it brings together scholars of the highest caliber and provides the first compilation of essays on Troeltsch’s thought in English.

In the editor’s Introduction Christopher Adair-Toteff provides a brief overview of Troeltsch’s life and works and then discusses his contributions to theology, sociology, philosophy and cultural criticism. Hans Joas concentrates on one of Troeltsch’s early programmatic texts and demonstrates its relevance for a historical-sociological understanding of religion today. Arie L. Molendijk introduces Troeltsch’s famous typology of “Church, Sect, Mysticism” and demonstrates that they were crucial for addressing the “intrinsic sociological idea of Christianity.” Mark D. Chapman focuses on Troeltsch as a “systematic theologian in the History of Religion School” and offers a detailed analysis of his approach to the structure of Christian dogmatic theology. Christian Polke examines Troeltsch’s notion of personality and reveals it to be the normative core of his philosophical and theological thinking. He shows how this is important for the development of a society which is founded upon value-experience and the ethos of responsibility. Lori Pearson focuses on Troeltsch’s uses of the concepts of “modernity” and “Protestantism” and demonstrates that he offers an understanding of the latter which reduces much of the alienating individuality of the former. Ulrich Schmiedel studies Troeltsch’s attempt to combine theological and sociological accounts of the history of Christianity in order to identify the religion. He argues that instead of providing a conceptual definition of Christianity, Troeltsch offers a performative one. Jeffrey Kinlaw concentrates on Troeltsch’s contention that normative authority is the central problem of religious pluralism and shows how this is an epistemological problem with extensive theological consequences. In the concluding chapter Adair-Toteff examines Troeltsch’s conception of historicism and shows how he tried to combat the relativism and negativity present in the writings of the proponents of this philosophy of history.

The eight essays in this volume reveal the depth and scope of Ernst Troeltsch’s thinking and demonstrate that he was not only a first-rate theologian but also a co-founder with Max Weber of the sociology of religion. They also help establish Troeltsch’s place as a major philosopher and a significant critic of modern culture.

Introduction Ernst Troeltsch: Theologian, Sociologist, Philosopher, and Culture Critic, Christopher Adair-Toteff; 1. The Independence of Religious Phenomena: The Work of Ernst Troeltsch as a Template for the Study of Religion, Hans Joas; 2. Troeltsch on Protestantism and Modernity, Lori Pearson; 3. Church, Sect, Mysticism: Writing the History of Christianity, Arie L. Molendijk; 4. Troeltsch’s Personalism, Christian Polke; 5. Performative Practice: Ernst Troeltsch’s Concept(s) of Christianity, Ulrich Schmiedel; 6. Troeltsch and the Problem of Theological Normativity, Jeffrey Kinlaw; 7. Troeltsch as Dogmatic Theologian, Mark D. Chapman; 8. Ernst Troeltsch and the Problem of Historicism, Christopher Adair-Toteff; List of Contributors; Index.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique
• Sociology

Informations

• Publié par: Anthem Press
• Date de parution: 15 décembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781783086504
• Langue: English

Extrait

The Anthem Companion to Ernst Troeltsch
Anthem Companions to Sociology
Anthem Companions to Sociology offer authoritative and comprehensive assessments of major figures in the development of sociology from the last two centuries. Covering the major advancements in sociological thought, these companions offer critical evaluations of key figures in the American and European sociological tradition, and will provide students and scholars with an in-depth assessment of the makers of sociology and chart their relevance to modern society.
Series Editor
Bryan S. Turner – City University of New York, USA / Australian Catholic University, Australia / University of Potsdam, Germany

Forthcoming Titles
The Anthem Companion to Gabriel Tarde
The Anthem Companion to Philip Rieff
The Anthem Companion to Ernst Troeltsch
Edited by Christopher Adair-Toteff
Anthem Press
An imprint of Wimbledon Publishing Company
www.anthempress.com

This edition first published in UK and USA 2018
by ANTHEM PRESS
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© 2018 Christopher Adair-Toteff editorial matter and selection;
individual chapters © individual contributors

The moral right of the authors has been asserted.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN-13: 978-1-78308-277-3 (Hbk)
ISBN-10: 1-78308-277-1 (Hbk)

This title is also available as an e-book.
CONTENTS
Introduction Ernst Troeltsch: Theologian, Sociologist, Philosopher, and Culture Critic
Christopher Adair-Toteff
Chapter One The Independence of Religious Phenomena: The Work of Ernst Troeltsch as a Template for the Study of Religion
Hans Joas
Chapter Two Troeltsch on Protestantism and Modernity
Lori Pearson
Chapter Three Church, Sect, Mysticism: Writing the History of Christianity
Arie L. Molendijk
Chapter Four Troeltsch’s Personalism
Christian Polke
Chapter Five Performative Practice: Ernst Troeltsch’s Concept(s) of Christianity
Ulrich Schmiedel
Chapter Six Troeltsch and the Problem of Theological Normativity
Jeffrey Kinlaw
Chapter Seven Troeltsch as Dogmatic Theologian
Mark D. Chapman
Chapter Eight Ernst Troeltsch and the Problem of Historicism
Christopher Adair-Toteff
List of Contributors
Index
Introduction
ERNST TROELTSCH: THEOLOGIAN, SOCIOLOGIST, PHILOSOPHER, AND CULTURE CRITIC
Christopher Adair-Toteff
Ernst Troeltsch: Life and Work
The name Ernst Troeltsch is remembered mostly in two contexts: first as an important Protestant theologian, and second as a close colleague of Max Weber. There is much to support this view, but Troeltsch was much more than just a theologian and a colleague of Weber. He was also a sociologist, philosopher, and culture critic. The purpose of this introductory chapter is to indicate Troeltsch’s importance as a theologian, a sociologist, a philosopher, and a critic of culture. I begin by providing a brief sketch of Troeltsch’s life and work and conclude with an overview of recent editions of his work and of final comments.
Ernst Troeltsch was born on February 17, 1865, just outside Augsburg, Germany. His father was a physician, and his mother was a housewife. Troeltsch remembers that when he was a young boy his parents’ house was filled with medical books and instruments and he was encouraged to investigate natural phenomena as well as historical issues ( 1925b : 3–4). He was educated first in Augsburg and then at the University at Erlangen. There he listened to lectures by Gustav Claß and learned about the importance of Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Schleiermacher, whose writings influenced Troeltsch’s philosophical and theological thinking throughout his life. At the age of 20, Troeltsch transferred to Berlin where he studied under Julius Kaftan. But as much as he appreciated Kaftan’s theology, he was far more impressed with Heinrich von Treitschke’s politics (Drescher 1993 : 18). In 1886, Troeltsch transferred to Göttingen. Not only did he want a town smaller than Berlin but also Albrecht Ritschl was there. From Ritschl, Troeltsch learned the importance of historical understanding of religion, and although he continued to respect Ritschl, he never really regarded himself as one of Ritschl’s disciples. Troeltsch finished his education and began teaching at Göttingen, but he was to remain there only a short time. In 1892, he was called to Bonn as an “Extraordinarius” professor, and he distinguished himself so much that he was called to Heidelberg the following year. He stayed at Heidelberg from 1894 until 1915, and it was during this time that he published his major writings on Protestantism and the sociology of religion. It was also a period when he wrote on more philosophical topics and was involved in Baden politics. And it was also the time that he got married and traveled with Max and Marianne Weber to the United States to present papers at the World Congress. During the years between 1910 and 1915 Troeltsch and his wife, Marta, lived in the upper story of the Weber house on Ziegelhauser Landstrasse in Heidelberg. Troeltsch and Weber were not only close colleagues but also close friends; however, a dispute over the treatment of enemy prisoners in 1915 put an end to their friendship. 1
In 1915, Troeltsch moved to Berlin and changed from the theology faculty to the philosophy department. It was in Berlin that Troeltsch began to be recognized as a philosopher, and his reputation as one of the leading philosophical thinkers was secured by the publication of Der Historismus und seine Probleme. As with his earlier Soziallehren , the work on historicism appeared in installments before being published as a single volume in December of 1922. It was also in Berlin that he gained his reputation as one of Germany’s keenest political observers. First as an anonymous commentator and then under his own name, Troeltsch reflected on Germany’s political, economic, and social challenges in “letters” that were later published as a collection called Spektator-Briefe. He witnessed Germany’s loss in the war and the murder of a number of important politicians, including his friend Walther Rathenau. He was affected by the food shortages and the beginnings of the hyperinflation, and he observed social and political unrest. For much of his life, Troeltsch had been a rather sturdy and healthy person, but as he saw the increasing storm clouds over Germany he began to suffer not just mentally but also physically. Troeltsch had long been looking forward to his upcoming trip to England, where he was expected to give lectures at a number of prestigious universities, when he died of a heart attack on February 1, 1923. His premature death affected relatives, friends, colleagues, and even much of the general public. There were numerous accounts of him that were published in news papers, magazines, and journals. 2 Unfortunately, because he never cultivated a school, political events and changes in trends in philosophy and in theology meant that he was no longer considered relevant. This is unfortunate because, like Weber, Troeltsch was an expert in a number of disciplines and, like him, sought interactions and connections among the various fields. Unlike Weber, Troeltsch was not inclined to polemics and did not wish to pick fights. Perhaps because of Weber’s strong personality and the sharp tone of his writings he has long been recognized as the leading sociologist of the twentieth century. It is now important that people come to recognize that Troeltsch’s contributions to sociology and other fields are on par with those of Weber.
For those who wish more information on Troeltsch’s life and writings, there seem to be only two biographies of him. The first was written by Walther Köhler, who was not only Troeltsch’s student but also later held the same chair in systematic theology at the university in Heidelberg ( 2002 ). It was published in 1941 and is rather outdated, but Köhler’s friendship with Troeltsch and his knowledge of Protestant theology make his biography still useful (Köhler 1941 ). The second book was published in 1991; hence, Hans-Georg Drescher was able to refer to more recent work on Troeltsch ( 1991 ). In addition, he brought a trained historian’s eye to his study of Troeltsch, so his understanding of Troeltsch’s historical and political writings is well worth considering. Drescher’s book has the additional benefit of having been translated into English ( 1993 ).
There has been some research on Troeltsch during the past decades. Wilhelm F. Kasch published Die Sozialphilosophie von Ernst Troeltsch (1963) and Ulrich Platte published Ethos und Politik bei Ernst Troeltsch (1995). As the titles indicate, both are relatively limited to Troeltsch’s social philosophy and politics. There were also some earlier studies in English. These include Walter E. Wyman Jr.’s The Concept of Glaubenslehre: Ernst Troeltsch and the Theological Heritage of Schleiermacher ( 1983 ); G