Rudolf Bultmann, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Rudolf Bultmann

German theologian

Date of Birth: 20-Aug-1884

Place of Birth: Wiefelstede, Lower Saxony, Germany

Date of Death: 30-Jul-1976

Profession: theologian, university teacher, philosopher

Nationality: Germany

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Rudolf Karl Bultmann (German: ['b?ltman]; 20 August 1884 – 30 July 1976) was a German Lutheran theologian and professor of the New Testament at the University of Marburg.
He was one of the major figures of early-20th-century biblical studies.
A prominent critic of liberal theology, Bultmann instead argued for an existentialist interpretation of the New Testament.
His hermeneutical approach to the New Testament led him to be a proponent of dialectical theology. Bultmann is known for his belief that the historical analysis of the New Testament is both futile and unnecessary, given that the earliest Christian literature showed little interest in specific locations.
Bultmann argued that all that matters is the "thatness", not the "whatness" of Jesus, i.e.
only that Jesus existed, preached, and died by crucifixion matters, not what happened throughout his life.Bultmann relied on demythologization, an approach interpreting the mythological elements in the New Testament existentially.
Bultmann contended that only faith in the kerygma, or proclamation, of the New Testament was necessary for Christian faith, not any particular facts regarding the historical Jesus.