From 1881 to 1887 it was edited by A. Harnack (q.v.), from 1887 to 1910 by E. Schürer, with Harnack, from 1911 to 1920 by A. Titius with an associate editor, from 1921 to June 1930 by E. Hirsch (later a theologian close to the "Deutsche Christen") and others, from July 1930 to March 1939 by W. Bauer (known for his 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 war, some well-known "Deutschchristen" collaborated, such as W. Grundmann, though the journal never fell into their hands. Since 1941 it has been edited by Kurt Aland, and since 1942 it has been merged with Theologisches Literaturblatt, whose editor, E. Sommerlath, became an associate editor.
From 1921 to 1941 it was accompanied by a "Bibliographisches Beiblatt," an extensive and reasoned bibliography of all theology. From March 1939 onward it bore the subtitle Monatsschrift für das Gesamtgebiet der Theologie und Religionswissenschaft (previously it had been almost always fortnightly). It underwent an interruption in the years 1945-1946. It is published by J. C. Hinrichs, of Leipzig.
Among the editors who exerted the greatest influence were E. Schürer and A. von Harnack (cf. the latter’s programmatic statement in T. L., 35 [1910], cols. 706 ff., and his exposition in 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 thanks to Wellhausen, Weizsäcker, Ritschl, and others, its tradition is based above all on the "Ritschlian" school and on the historical-critical and later comparative school of exegesis. It is no accident that neo-orthodox schools, for example, that stemming from K. Barth, have had less influence on the journal. Naturally, the ideal of "Voraussetzungslosigkeit" (freedom from presuppositions) advocated by Harnack and Schürer is based on an illusion.
The journal, among other prejudices, had inherited part of the intolerance of Pietro Vollhardt (q.v.), and only from 1912 onward did it become more serene and benevolent toward Catholics; in its most recent period even Catholic literature is often reviewed by Catholics. In other reviews of Catholic works, one notes the fact that Protestant apologetics today, present in all theological research, is of an "eristic" nature.