Daniel Schenkel

At first inclined to conservatism, he afterwards became an exponent of the mediating theology (German: Vermittelungs-theologie), and ultimately a liberal theologian and advanced critic.

In 1867, with a view to popularizing the researches and results of the Liberal school, he undertook the editorship of a Bibel-Lexicon (5 vols, 1869–1875), a work which was so much in advance of its time that it is still useful.

from 3rd ed., 1869), which appeared almost simultaneously with David Friedrich Strauss' Das Leben Jesu kritisch bearbeitet (Tübingen, 1835–1836), met with fierce opposition.

[1] The work is considered too subjective and fanciful, the great fault of the author being that he lacks the impartiality of objective historical insight.

His main purpose was to modernize and reinterpret Christianity; he says in the preface to the third edition of the book: "I have written it solely in the service of evangelical truth, to win to the truth those especially who have been most unhappily alienated from the church and its interests, in a great measure through the fault of a reactionary party, blinded by hierarchical aims.