THE
LIFE OF JESUS
CRITICALLY EXAMINED
[Contents]
FOURTH EDITION. IN ONE VOLUME.
London
SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO. Lim.
1902
London
SWAN SONNENSCHEIN & CO. Lim.
1902
[5]
[Contents]
INTRODUCTION
TO THE PRESENT EDITION,
The Leben Jesu of David Friedrich Strauss, which was published in the year 1835, marked an epochin the history of theology. On the one hand, this book represents the crisis in theologyat which the doubts and critical objections of centuries as to the credibility ofthe Bible narratives had accumulated in such overwhelming volume as to break throughand sweep away all the defences of orthodox apologetics. On the other hand, in thevery completeness of the destructive criticism of past tradition lay the germs ofa new science of constructive critical inquiry, the work of which was to bring tolight the truth of history. It is quite true that the Life of Jesus of 1835 was far from perfect, as judged by the present standard of scientific criticism,and Biblical science has long since advanced beyond it. Nevertheless, it cannot bedisputed that it takes rank amongst the standard works which are secure of a permanentplace in literature for all time, for the reason that they give final expression tothe spirit of their age, and represent typically
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