FUNK, FRANZ XAVER. — Catholic historian, born on 12 October 1840 at Abtsgmünd, died on 24 February 1907 at Tübingen. Ordained a priest in 1864, he succeeded C. G. Hefels to the chair of ecclesiastical history in 1870, and in 1875 was appointed professor at the University of Tübingen, where for 37 years he taught ecclesiastical history, patrology, and Christian archaeology, earning great esteem, especially for his knowledge of Christian antiquity. His works were distinguished by acumen, sound judgment, rigorous method, and a love of truth, particularly in research.
His editions of patristic works are particularly well known: Opera Patrum Apostolicarum (2 vols., Tübingen 1901); Doctrina XII Apostolorum (there 1887); Diduscalia et Constitutiones Apostolorum (2 vols., there 1905). Other writings: Lehrbuch der Kirchengeschichte (Tübingen 1886, also translated into Italian by P. Petciballi, Rome 1903); K. Bihlemeyer prepared and updated its 11th edition: Kirchengeschichte auf Grund des Lehrbuches von F. X. F. (Paderborn 1940); Die Echtheit der ignatianischen Briefe (there 1883); Das Testament unseres Herrn (there 1901); Kirchengeschichtliche Abhandlungen u. Untersuchungen (3 vols., there 1897–1907).