ABSTRACT
Ernst Troeltsch (1865-1923) was one of the leading figures in German-language theology and philosophy in the Wilhelmine period until the beginning of the Weimar Republic. After studying initially at Erlangen, he grew increasingly dissatisfied with his conservative teachers, moving to Göttingen, where he came under the influence of Albrecht Ritschl (1822-89). Here he formed close friendships with a group of young scholars, who became known as the religionsgeschichtliche Schule. Troeltsch contributed many articles to the first edition of the encyclopedia Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, and, despite the often unsystematic nature of his writing, was referred to as the “systematic theologian” of the school. After a brief spell at Bonn, he was appointed Professor of Systematic Theology at Heidelberg in 1895. Feeling that he had “outgrown” the Theology Faculty he moved to the Philosophy Faculty at Berlin in 1915.
