Kurt Aland
Encyclopedia
Kurt Aland was a German
Theologian and Professor
of New Testament Research and Church History. He founded the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung
(Institute for New Testament Textual Research) in Münster
and served as its first director for many years (1959–83). He was one of the principal editors of Novum Testamentum Graece for the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
and the The Greek New Testament for the United Bible Societies
.
-Steglitz
. He started studying theology in 1933 at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität
in Berlin (he also studied philology, archaeology, and history). On March 23 that year, he was examined before the Bruderrat (council of brothers) in the Bekennende Kirche (Confessing Church). During his studies, he worked for the journal of the Confessing Church, Junge Kirche (Young Church). In an ideological brochure, Wer fälscht? (Who is lying?), written against Mathilde Ludendorff
, he confirmed the position of the Confessing Church and identified with them. In 1939 he studied for his bachelor's degree under the guidance of Hans Lietzmann
. In 1940 he was released from military service; and in 1941, after Lietzmann's death, he took over the responsibilities of editing the theological magazine. He graduated in this same year, and in 1944 was ordained as minister of the parish of Berlin-Steglitz.
After World War II
, Aland became a lecturer in the theological faculty of the Humboldt University of Berlin
. In 1947 he was appointed Professor ordinarius in Halle (Saale)
.
Aland disapproved of the Marxist government of East Germany, and was persecuted as a result. In 1953 he was accused of smuggling watches to West Berlin
and kept under arrest for three months. Several times Aland spoke out publicly against various forms of state oppression directed at Churches, and demanded freedom of speech in East Germany. In July 1958, he lost his job at the university. However, in September that year, he successfully escaped to West Berlin.
In 1959 became a professor at the University of Münster
, Germany. Here he founded the Institute for New Testament Textual Research
("Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung"), which he directed until 1983.
Aland was married twice. First to Ingeborg Aland (they have three children together). In the late 70s he married Barbara Aland
. He died in Münster, Germany
in 1994.
in the Institute for New Testament Textual Research
in Münster) shall be deemed to be pointing the way worldwide. He is the author of multitude publications.
The focus of his work was firstly an intense and adventurous search for old manuscripts on several expeditions to abbeys in Russia and Greece (amongst others).
He discovered numerous manuscripts of the New Testament, whose evaluation is still in progress. Most notably famous is the completely new arranged edition of Novum Testamentum Graece
(Greek New Testament) in 1979 (also called Nestle-Aland).
This base on the text is evidence of academic work on the New Testament aiming the highest convergence to the "original text".
Furthermore he acted in the Hermann-Kunst-Stiftung which was founded in 1964 by Hermann Kunst, a good friend of Aland.
A lot of celebrities of politics, economy and society participated in this foundation for the sponsorship of the Institute for New Testament Textual Research
.
Another priority in his life were his church-historical works in the field of old church as well as the history of the reformation
, and the more recent church history of pietism
and revivalism.
Critics distinguish Aland's profundity and his comprehensive knowledge of sources.
All this gives Aland's work a notable presence and relevance even nowadays, which has to be seen as an important aspect of scientific methodology.
Aland was of the opinion that every work on historical topics life from the acknowledgment, the reliability and the accessibility to its topics.
Among experts Aland proved himself to be an important ecumenist who has left the small range of German Protestantism far behind.
He received the following awards:
Kurt Aland was a member of the following academies:
The american Society of Biblical Literature
elected him an Honorary Member. Furthermore Aland was elected an Honorary Life Member in 1966 by the American Bible Society
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Theologian and Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of New Testament Research and Church History. He founded the Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung
Institute for New Testament Textual Research
The Institute for New Testament Textual Research at the University of Münster, Westphalia, Germany, is an institute for the investigation of the text of the New Testament. The INTF was founded in Münster in 1959 by Professor Kurt Aland , the first director of the Institute...
(Institute for New Testament Textual Research) 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...
and served as its first director for many years (1959–83). He was one of the principal editors of Novum Testamentum Graece for the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft
The Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft is a religious foundation regulated by public law. It is involved in publishing and in spreading the message of the Bible....
and the The Greek New Testament for the United Bible Societies
United Bible Societies
The United Bible Societies is a worldwide association of Bible societies. In 1946 delegates from 13 countries formed the UBS, as an effort to coordinate the activities of the bible societies. The first headquarters were London and in Geneva...
.
Life
Aland was born in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
-Steglitz
Steglitz
Steglitz is a locality of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough in the south-west of Berlin, the capital of Germany. The locality also includes the neighbourhood of Südende.-History:...
. He started studying theology in 1933 at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
in Berlin (he also studied philology, archaeology, and history). On March 23 that year, he was examined before the Bruderrat (council of brothers) in the Bekennende Kirche (Confessing Church). During his studies, he worked for the journal of the Confessing Church, Junge Kirche (Young Church). In an ideological brochure, Wer fälscht? (Who is lying?), written against Mathilde Ludendorff
Mathilde Ludendorff
Mathilde Friederike Karoline Ludendorff was a German teacher and doctor. She was the second wife of Erich Ludendorff - he was her third husband - as well as a leading figure in the Völkisch movement, where she was known for her esoteric and conspiratorial ideas...
, he confirmed the position of the Confessing Church and identified with them. In 1939 he studied for his bachelor's degree under the guidance of Hans Lietzmann
Hans Lietzmann
Hans Lietzmann was a German theologian and church historian who was a native of Düsseldorf.He initially studied in Jena, and continued his education in Bonn, where he was a student of Hermann Usener...
. In 1940 he was released from military service; and in 1941, after Lietzmann's death, he took over the responsibilities of editing the theological magazine. He graduated in this same year, and in 1944 was ordained as minister of the parish of Berlin-Steglitz.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, Aland became a lecturer in the theological faculty of the Humboldt University of Berlin
Humboldt University of Berlin
The Humboldt University of Berlin is Berlin's oldest university, founded in 1810 as the University of Berlin by the liberal Prussian educational reformer and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt, whose university model has strongly influenced other European and Western universities...
. In 1947 he was appointed Professor ordinarius in Halle (Saale)
Halle, Saxony-Anhalt
Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia...
.
Aland disapproved of the Marxist government of East Germany, and was persecuted as a result. In 1953 he was accused of smuggling watches to West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
and kept under arrest for three months. Several times Aland spoke out publicly against various forms of state oppression directed at Churches, and demanded freedom of speech in East Germany. In July 1958, he lost his job at the university. However, in September that year, he successfully escaped to West Berlin.
In 1959 became a professor at the University of Münster
University of Münster
The University of Münster is a public university located in the city of Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany. The WWU is part of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, a society of Germany's leading research universities...
, Germany. Here he founded the Institute for New Testament Textual Research
Institute for New Testament Textual Research
The Institute for New Testament Textual Research at the University of Münster, Westphalia, Germany, is an institute for the investigation of the text of the New Testament. The INTF was founded in Münster in 1959 by Professor Kurt Aland , the first director of the Institute...
("Institut für neutestamentliche Textforschung"), which he directed until 1983.
Aland was married twice. First to Ingeborg Aland (they have three children together). In the late 70s he married Barbara Aland
Barbara Aland
Barbara Aland, née Ehlers is a German theologian and was a Professor of New Testament Research and Church History at Westphalian Wilhelms-University of Münster until 2002.- Biography :...
. He died in Münster, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
in 1994.
Relevance
In times of increasing specialism, also within history and theology, Kurt Aland can be regarded as one of the last representatives of academics who worked extensively and also efficiently on theologian and historical topics. In the field of New Testament Research his work (and also the work that he has done together with his wife Barbara AlandBarbara Aland
Barbara Aland, née Ehlers is a German theologian and was a Professor of New Testament Research and Church History at Westphalian Wilhelms-University of Münster until 2002.- Biography :...
in the Institute for New Testament Textual Research
Institute for New Testament Textual Research
The Institute for New Testament Textual Research at the University of Münster, Westphalia, Germany, is an institute for the investigation of the text of the New Testament. The INTF was founded in Münster in 1959 by Professor Kurt Aland , the first director of the Institute...
in Münster) shall be deemed to be pointing the way worldwide. He is the author of multitude publications.
The focus of his work was firstly an intense and adventurous search for old manuscripts on several expeditions to abbeys in Russia and Greece (amongst others).
He discovered numerous manuscripts of the New Testament, whose evaluation is still in progress. Most notably famous is the completely new arranged edition of Novum Testamentum Graece
Novum Testamentum Graece
Novum Testamentum Graece is the Latin name editions of the original Greek-language version of the New Testament.The first printed edition was the Complutensian Polyglot Bible by Cardinal Francisco Jiménez de Cisneros, printed in 1514, but not published until 1520...
(Greek New Testament) in 1979 (also called Nestle-Aland).
This base on the text is evidence of academic work on the New Testament aiming the highest convergence to the "original text".
Furthermore he acted in the Hermann-Kunst-Stiftung which was founded in 1964 by Hermann Kunst, a good friend of Aland.
A lot of celebrities of politics, economy and society participated in this foundation for the sponsorship of the Institute for New Testament Textual Research
Institute for New Testament Textual Research
The Institute for New Testament Textual Research at the University of Münster, Westphalia, Germany, is an institute for the investigation of the text of the New Testament. The INTF was founded in Münster in 1959 by Professor Kurt Aland , the first director of the Institute...
.
Another priority in his life were his church-historical works in the field of old church as well as the history of the reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, and the more recent church history of pietism
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
and revivalism.
Critics distinguish Aland's profundity and his comprehensive knowledge of sources.
All this gives Aland's work a notable presence and relevance even nowadays, which has to be seen as an important aspect of scientific methodology.
Aland was of the opinion that every work on historical topics life from the acknowledgment, the reliability and the accessibility to its topics.
Among experts Aland proved himself to be an important ecumenist who has left the small range of German Protestantism far behind.
Honors
Kurt Aland achieved the following honorary doctorates:- 1950: "Dr. (h.c.)", from University of Göttingen (Germany)
- 1957: "Doctor of Divinity", from University of St AndrewsUniversity of St AndrewsThe University of St Andrews, informally referred to as "St Andrews", is the oldest university in Scotland and the third oldest in the English-speaking world after Oxford and Cambridge. The university is situated in the town of St Andrews, Fife, on the east coast of Scotland. It was founded between...
(Scotland) - 1971: "Doctor of Literature", from Wartburg CollegeWartburg CollegeWartburg College is a selective four-year liberal arts college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Waverly, Iowa. Wartburg West is in Denver, Colorado....
(Iowa)
He received the following awards:
- 1963: Golden "Cross of Athos" of the patriarchate of Alexandria
- 1975: "Burkitt Medal" for Biblical Studies by the British AcademyBritish AcademyThe British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
- 1976: Grant Cross of Merit, neck cross (Großes Verdienstkreuz)
- 1983: Grant Cross of Merit with star (Großes Verdienstkreuz mit Stern)
- 1985: "Luther-Medal" from the University of Halle-WittenbergUniversity of Halle-WittenbergThe Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg , also referred to as MLU, is a public, research-oriented university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg within Saxony-Anhalt, Germany...
- 1985: "Canstein-Medal" from the German Bible SocietyDeutsche BibelgesellschaftThe Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft is a religious foundation regulated by public law. It is involved in publishing and in spreading the message of the Bible....
- 1993: "St. Pauls Award"
Kurt Aland was a member of the following academies:
- since 1955: Academy of Science of Saxony (Germany)
- since 1969: British AcademyBritish AcademyThe British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...
- since 1975: Academy of Science of GöttingenGöttingen Academy of SciencesThe Göttingen Academy of Sciences is the second oldest of the seven academies of sciences in Germany. It has the task of promoting research under its own auspices and in collaboration with academics in and outside Germany...
(Germany) - since 1976: Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesRoyal Netherlands Academy of Arts and SciencesThe Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences is an organisation dedicated to the advancement of science and literature in the Netherlands...
The american Society of Biblical Literature
Society of Biblical Literature
The Society of Biblical Literature, founded 1880, is a constituent society of the American Council of Learned Societies , with the stated mission to "Foster Biblical Scholarship"...
elected him an Honorary Member. Furthermore Aland was elected an Honorary Life Member in 1966 by the American Bible Society
American Bible Society
The American Bible Society is an interconfessional, non-denominational, nonprofit organization, founded in 1816 in New York City, which publishes, distributes and translates the Bible and provides study aids and other tools to help people engage with the Bible.It is probably best known for its...
.
Works
- Spener-Studien, 1943, (=Arbeiten zur Geschichte des Pietismus I. Arbeiten zur Kirchengeschichte vol. 28);
- Kirchengeschichtliche Entwürfe: Alte Kirche - Reformation und Luthertum - Pietismus und Erweckungsbewegung, 1960.
- Die Säuglingstaufe im Neuen Testament und in der alten Kirche. Eine Antwort an Joachim Jeremias, (=TEH; N.F. 86), 1961; Über den Glaubenswechsel in der Geschichte des Christentums, 1961;
- Bibel und Bibeltexte bei August Hermann Francke und Johann Albrecht Bengel. In: Pietismus und Bibel, (=AGP; 9), 1970, 89-147;
- Taufe und Kindertaufe. 40 Sätze zur Aussage des Neuen Testaments und dem historischen Befund, zur modernen Debatte darüber und den Folgerungen daraus für die kirchliche Praxis - zugleich eine Auseinandersetzung mit Karl Barths Lehre von der Taufe, 1971;
- A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament. A Companion Volume to the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament (3. ed.) de B. M. Metzger e do Editorial Committee of the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament (K. Aland, M. Black, C. M. Martini, B. M. Metzger e A. Wikgren), 1971;
- Neutestamentliche Entwürfe, (=Theol. Bücherei, NT; 63), 1979;
- Der Text des Neuen Testaments. Einführung in die wissenschaftlichen Ausgaben sowie in Theorie und Praxis der modernen Textkritik (with Barbara AlandBarbara AlandBarbara Aland, née Ehlers is a German theologian and was a Professor of New Testament Research and Church History at Westphalian Wilhelms-University of Münster until 2002.- Biography :...
), 1982, 1989; English translation - Die Grundurkunde des Glaubens. Ein Bericht über 40 Jahre Arbeit an ihrem Text. Em: Bericht der Hermann Kunst- Stiftung zur Förderung der Neutestamentlichen Textforschung für die Jahre 1982 bis 1984, 1985, 9-75;
- Das Neue Testament - zuverlässig überliefert. Die Geschichte des neutestamentlichen Textes und die Ergebnisse der modernen Textforschung, (=Wissenswertes zur Bibel; 4), 1986;
- Text und Textwert der griechischen Handschriften des Neuen Testaments, vol. I-III (=Arbeiten zur neutestamentlichen Textforschung), 1987 ff.;
See also
- Institute for New Testament Textual ResearchInstitute for New Testament Textual ResearchThe Institute for New Testament Textual Research at the University of Münster, Westphalia, Germany, is an institute for the investigation of the text of the New Testament. The INTF was founded in Münster in 1959 by Professor Kurt Aland , the first director of the Institute...
- Categories of New Testament manuscriptsCategories of New Testament manuscriptsNew Testament manuscripts in Greek are categorized into five groups, according to a scheme introduced in 1981 by Kurt and Barbara Aland in Der Text des Neuen Testaments. The categories are based on how each manuscript relates to the various text-types. Generally speaking, earlier Alexandrian...
- International Greek New Testament ProjectInternational Greek New Testament ProjectThe International Greek New Testament Project began in 1926 as a cooperative enterprise between British and German scholars to establish a new critical edition of the New Testament. Early results of the work were critical apparatus of the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Mark produced by S. C....
External links
- Nestle-Aland Ausgaben des griechischen Neuen Testaments Auflistung aller derzeit verfügbaren Ausgaben.
- Biography of Aland
- Bibelübersetzungen von Kurt Aland