abstract
| - Martin Hengel (Dec 14, 1926 - July 2, 2009) was a German New Testament scholar and Emeritus Professor of New Testament and Early Judaism at the University of Tübingen. Hengel specialized in "second temple" Judaism during the Hellenistic period and early Christianity. Larry Hurtado writes of Hengel: First, Hengel has set a high standard of thoroughness of research that continues to instruct and inspire. Second, his frank acknowledgement of his Christian stance and theological concerns is commendable, both in its honesty and in his demonstration (contrary to the anxieties of some) such a commitment can actually inspire dedicated and critical historical analysis that wins the praise of scholars of various faith-stances. Third, over and against both anti-critical conservatism of a creedalistic or fundamentalistic nature, and over and against the now-fashionable disdain of the validity of critical historical investigation in some so-called ‘post-modernist’ circles, and also over and against the tendency by some other NT scholars to play off critical historical study and hermeneutical concerns, Hengel’s body of work stands as a monumental refutation and inspiration. Hengel passed away on July 2, 2009 after a long battle with cancer.
|