Adolf von Harnack

Born in Dorpat, now Tartu, on May 7, 1851, Adolf von Harnack became one of the best-known Lutheran theologians and church historians of his era. He taught at several universities before taking a major post in Berlin, and he built a reputation through wide-ranging studies of early Christianity, the development of doctrine, and the history of the church.

Harnack is especially remembered for works such as History of Dogma and What Is Christianity? In them, he argued that Christianity should be understood by looking closely at its earliest sources and by distinguishing the original message of Jesus from later doctrinal developments. That approach made him deeply influential in modern liberal Protestant theology, while also drawing strong criticism from opponents.

His influence reached beyond theology alone. He played an important role in German academic life, helped shape major scholarly institutions, and became the first president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, the organization that later evolved into the Max Planck Society. He died on June 10, 1930, leaving behind a body of work that still matters to readers interested in church history, biblical scholarship, and the intellectual life of modern Europe.