Martin Hengel

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.^[1]

Hengel passed away on July 2, 2009 after a long battle with cancer.

Selected publications

• Judaism and Hellenism: Studies in Their Encounter in Palestine During the Early Hellenistic Period, Wipf & Stock Publishers (March 2003). ISBN 978-1592441860
• Jews, Greeks, and Barbarians: Aspects of the Hellenization of Judaism in the Pre-Christian Period, Fortress Press (November 1980). ISBN 978-0800606473
• Between Jesus and Paul: Studies in the Earliest History of Christianity, Wipf & Stock Publishers (March 2003). ISBN 978-1592441891
• Four Gospels and the One Gospel of Jesus Christ, Trinity Press; 1 edition (August 2000). ISBN 978-1563383007

Notes

Further reading

• Larry Hurtado, "Martin Hengel’s Impact on English-Speaking Scholarship," Expository Times 120.2 (2008): 70-76.

External links

• Video interview of Martin Hengel by John Dickson
• The Champion Who Debunked Bultmann, by David Neff, Christianity Today
• Review of Hengel's Die johanneische Frage (PDF), by Andreas Köstenberger

Online writings

• Tasks of New Testament Scholarship (PDF)
• Iουδαία in the Geographical List of Acts 2:9-11 and Syria as Greater Judea (PDF)
• Paul in Arabia (PDF)
• Raising the Bar: A daring proposal for the future of evangelical New Testament scholarship, Christianity Today