NT Midterm Scholars

Rudolf Bultmann

A liberal theologian advocating for stripping away history to find the core truth of Christianity, emphasizing the spiritual meaning over historical evidence.

Albert Schweitzer

Associated with consistent eschatology and leading "the Quest for the Historical Jesus," highlighting the danger of imposing one's own image onto Jesus.

D.F Strass

Portrayed the "historical Jesus" denying his divine nature, viewing miraculous elements in the gospels as mythical rather than factual happenings.

J.J Griesbach

Known for proposing a solution to the synoptic problem, giving priority to the Gospel of Matthew and suggesting the interdependence of the Gospels of Luke and Mark.

H.J Hotzmann

Supports the priority of Mark, suggesting that Matthew's gospel evolved from Mark and an earlier collection of sayings, while Luke originated from Matthew and Mark.

B.H Streeter

Developed the four-source hypothesis, proposing the existence of two additional sources, "M" and "L," besides Mark and Q in the composition of the Gospels.

William Wrede

Argued for the "messianic secret" in Mark, suggesting that Jesus concealed his messiah-ship to explain why few recognized him as the Messiah during his lifetime, emphasizing Mark as a theologian rather than a pure historian.