Karl Hase

Hase's aim was to reconcile modern culture with historical Christianity in a scientific way.

Indeed, he vigorously attacked rationalism, as distinguished from the rational principle, charging it with being unscientific inasmuch as it ignored the historical significance of Christianity, shut its eyes to individuality and failed to give religious feeling its due.

[1] His views are presented scientifically in his Evangelisch-protestantische Dogmatik (1826; 6th edition, 1870), the value of which "lies partly in the full and judiciously chosen historical materials prefixed to each dogma, and partly in the skill, caution and tact with which the permanent religious significance of various dogmas is discussed" (Otto Pfleiderer).

But his reputation rests chiefly on his treatment of church history in his Kirchengeschichte, Lehrbuch zunächst für akademische Vorlesungen (1834, 12th edition, 1900; English translation, 1870).

Other works are: For his life, see his Ideale und Irrtümer (1872; 5th edition, 1894) and Annalen meines Lebens (1891); and for comparison — Otto Pfleiderer, "The development of theology in Germany since Kant" (1890) and Frédéric Lichtenberger, "History of German theology in the nineteenth century" (1889).

Karl von Hase (ca. 1830–35)
Karl Hase statue in Jena