BIEDERMANN, ALOIS EMANUEL. - Swiss Protestant theologian, b. at Bendlikon near Winterthur on 2 March 1819 and d. at Zurich on 25 Jan. 1885. In 1837 he studied theology at Basel, then, in 1839, at Berlin. In 1843 he became pastor at Mönchenstein near Basel. From 1845 to 1850 he was editor of the journal Kirche der Gegenwart; in 1850 extraordinary professor and in 1860 full professor at Zurich. B. attempted to harmonize the truths of religion with reason. At first he followed the direction of Strauss; later he devoted himself especially to the study of Hegel’s philosophy, striving
to associate the philosopher’s concept of God and religion with the Christian idea. Of a combative nature, he sought to obtain legal recognition for his doctrines and to introduce a liturgy based upon them, and succeeded in doing so at Zurich, St. Gallen, Basel, Bern, etc., while arousing opposing parties and lively controversies within the Protestant Church of his country.
Principal works: Über die Persönlichkeit Gottes (1842); Die freie Theologie oder Philosophie und Christentum in Streit und Frieden (1844); Unsere junghegelsche Weltanschauung (1849); Christliche Dogmatik (1869).