THEOLOGISCHE LITERATURZEITUNG. — Protestant theological journal devoted to extensive and scholarly reviews of the entire theological and related literature; founded in 1876 by E. Schürer (v.).
From 1881 to 1887 it was directed by A. HARAN (v.), from 1887 to 1910 by E. Schürer, together with Harnack, from 1911 to 1920 by A. Titius with a co-editor, from 1921 to June 1930 by E. Hirsch (a theologian who later became close to the « Deutsche Christen ») and others, and from July 1930 to March 1939 by W. Bauer (well known as the author of a Dictionary of New Testament Greek) and others, including H. Lietzmann and G. Wobbermin (author of useful studies in religious and experimental psychology). From March 1939, under H. G. Opitz, who later fell in the war, several well-known « Deutschchristen » collaborated on it, such as W. Grundmann; nevertheless, the journal never fell into their hands. Since 1941 it has been directed by Kurt Aland; since 1942 it has been merged with the Theologisches Literaturblatt, whose director, E. Sommerlath, was appointed co-editor.
From 1921 to 1941 it was accompanied by a «Bibliographisches Beiblatt», an extensive and annotated bibliography of the whole of theology. From March 1939 onward it has carried the subtitle Monatschrift für das Gesamtgebiet der Theologie und Religionswissenschaft (previously it had almost always appeared fortnightly). It was interrupted in the years 1945–1946. It is published by the J. C. Hinrichs firm of Leipzig.
Among its directors, E. Schürer and A. V. Harnack exerted the greatest influence (cf. the latter’s programmatic statement in T. L., 35 [1910], col. 706 ff., and his exposition, ibid., 50 [1925], cols. 1–4). Since the journal arose at a time when Protestant systematic theology was receiving a precise objective from Albrecht Ritschl, and rigorous historical research was establishing itself as a recognized requirement of theology through Wellhausen, Weizsäcker, Ritschl, and others, its tradition rests above all on the «ritschlians» and on the historical-critical and, later, comparative school of exegesis. It is no accident that neo-orthodox schools, such as the one deriving from K. Barth, influenced the journal less. Naturally, the ideal of «Voraussetzungslosigkeit» (freedom from preconceptions) advocated by Harnack and Schürer is based on an illusion. Among other prejudices, the journal had inherited part of Kulturkampf (v.), and only from 1912 onward did it become more serene and benevolent toward Catholics; in its final period even Catholic literature was often reviewed by Catholics. In other reviews of Catholic works, one notes that present-day Protestant apologetics, which is present in all theological research, is «eristic» in nature.