Friedrich Spitta


Friedrich Spitta was a German Protestant theologian.

Biography

Spitta was born at Wittingen, Lower Saxony, the son of German hymn writer [Philipp Spitta (poet)|Karl Johann Philipp Spitta] and brother of Philipp. Friedrich studied at the universities of Göttingen and Erlangen, where he was a pupil of Johann Christian Konrad von Hofmann. In the course of time he became professor ordinarius and university preacher at St. Thomas, Strasbourg. In 1901 he was appointed university rector. In 1919 he was named a professor at the University of Göttingen.
He had a keen interest in church music and the revival of liturgical life in German Protestantism. He was an associate of the composer, Elias Oechsler due to his interests. He revised a communion song from the early Reformation, "Im Frieden dein, o Herre mein". Most of his books dealt with the Apostles and the early Christian church. In 1896 he became joint editor, with Julius Smend, of the Monatschrift für Gottesdienst und kirchliche Kunst.

Writings

Spitta is widely known as the author of a work on the Acts of the Apostles, Die Apostelgeschichte, ihre Quellen and deren geschichtlicher Wert. His other works include:
  • Der Knabe Jesus, eine biblische Geschichte and ihre apokryphischen Entstellungen.
  • Der zweite Brief der Petrus und der Brief der Judas.
  • Die Offenbarung des Johannes.
  • Zur Reform des evang. Kultus.
  • Zur Geschichte und Litteratur des Urchristentums - considered to be his best known work.
  • Die synoptische Grundschrift in ihrer Überlieferung durch das Lukasevangelium..
  • Ein Lebensbild Jesu aus den drei ersten Evangelien: Deutsche Übersetzung der synoptischen Grundschrift in ihrer Überlieferung durch das Lukasevangelium.