Troeltsch, Ernst

Troeltsch, Ernst (1865-1923), German Protestant theologian and scholar, whose historical and sociological approach to the philosophy of religion became a major influence in 20th-century theology. Born near Augsburg, Bavaria, Troeltsch studied theology at the universities of Erlangen, Göttingen, and Berlin. He taught theology at Göttingen and the universities of Bonn and Heidelberg before becoming professor of the history of philosophy and civilization at the University of Berlin in 1915. Influenced by the historical emphasis of the 19th-century German theologian Albrecht Ritschl, Troeltsch denied that theology can attain an absolute dogmatic truth that transcends historical and cultural circumstances. In his work he tried to reconcile this historical relativism with his belief in permanent and universal ethical values. Troeltsch was actively concerned with political and social issues, and after World War I he criticized the German tendency to idolize the state. His most important work is Die Soziallehren der christlichen Kirchen und Gruppen (The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches, 1912; trans. 1931), a historical and cultural analysis of Christian social ethics.