Julius Smend was a German theologian who was born in Lengerich

Lengerich, Westphalia

Lengerich is a town in the district of Steinfurt, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is situated on the southern slope of the Teutoburg Forest, approx...

, Westphalia

Westphalia

Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...

. He was brother to theologian Rudolf Smend

Rudolf Smend

Rudolf Smend was a German theologian who was born in Lengerich, Westphalia. He was an older brother to theologian Julius Smend , and the father of Carl Friedrich Rudolf Smend , an authority on constitutional and ecclesiastical law.He studied theology at the Universities of Göttingen, Berlin and...

 (1851–1913) and father to musicologist Friedrich Smend (1893–1980).

He studied theology in Bonn

Bonn

Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....

, Halle and Göttingen

Göttingen

Göttingen is a university town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686.-General information:...

, receiving his ordination

Ordination

In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...

 in 1881. Afterwards he worked as an auxiliary minister in Bonn, and in 1885 became a minister in Seelscheid

Neunkirchen-Seelscheid

Neunkirchen-Seelscheid is a municipality in the Rhein-Sieg district in the southern part of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Beside the two principal places Neunkirchen and Seelscheid there are numerous smaller localities among the municipality....

. In 1891 he taught classes at the seminary

Seminary

A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...

 in Friedberg

Friedberg, Hesse

Friedberg is a town and the capital of the Wetteraukreis district, in Hesse, Germany. It is located 26 kilometers north of Frankfurt am Main.-Division of the town:The town consists of 7 districts:* Bruchenbrücken...

, and two years later was appointed professor of practical theology at the University of Strasbourg

University of Strasbourg

The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....

.

In 1896 with Friedrich Spitta

Friedrich Spitta

Friedrich Spitta , German Protestant theologian, was born at Wittingen, Lower Saxony.Friedrich studied at Göttingen and Erlangen, and in course of time became professor ordinarius and university preacher at Saint Thomas Church in Strasbourg...

 (1852–1924), he founded Monatsschrift für Gottesdienst und kirchliche Kunst, a monthly magazine of worship and religious art. With Spitta, he was a primary representative of the Ältere liturgische Bewegung (Older Liturgical Movement) that he created at the St. Thomas' church

Saint Thomas Church (Strasbourg)

The Saint-Thomas Church is a historical building in Strasbourg, eastern France. It is the main Protestant church of the city since its Cathedral became Catholic again after the annexation of the town by France in 1681...

 of Strasbourg

Strasbourg

Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...

. In 1914 he was co-founder of the Evangelisch-Theologischen Fakultät (Evangelical Theological Faculty) in Münster

Münster

Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...

.

His best known written work was Die evangelischen deutschen Messen bis zu Luthers deutscher Messe (The Protestant German Trade Fairs up until Luther

Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...

's German Mass); (1896).