Claudii, c. 25; Vita Neronis, c. 16; Plinius, jun.: Epist., X. 97, 98; Lucian: De morte Peregr.,
c. 11; Lampridius: Vita Alexandri Severi, c. 29, 43.
The heathen opponents of Christianity, Lucian, Celsus, Porphyry, Julian the Apostate, etc.,
presuppose the principal facts of the gospel-history, even the miracles of Jesus, but they mostly
derive them, like the Jewish adversaries, from evil spirits. Comp. my book on the Person of
Christ, Appendix, and Dr. Nath. Lardner’sCredibility, and Collection of Testimonies.
B. Biographical and Critical.
The numerous Harmonies of the Gospel began already a.d. 170, with Tatian’sτὸ διὰ τεσσάρων(on
which Ephraem Syrus, in the fourth century, wrote a commentary, published in Latin from an
Armenian version in the Armenian convent at Venice, 1876). The first biographies of Christ
were ascetic or poetic, and partly legendary. See Hase, Leben Jesu, § 17–19. The critical period
began with the infidel and infamous attacks of Reimarus, Bahrdt, and Venturini, and the noble
apologetic works of Hess, Herder, and Reinhard. But a still greater activity was stimulated by
the Leben Jesu of Strauss, 1835 and again by Renan’s Vie de Jésus, 1863.
J. J. Hess (Antistes at Zürich, d. 1828): Lebensgeschichte Jesu. Zürich, 1774; 8th ed. 1823, 3 vols.
Translated into Dutch and Danish. He introduced the psychological and pragmatic treatment.
F. V. Rienhard (d. 1812): Versuch über den Plan Jesu. Wittenberg, 1781; 5th ed. by Heubner, 1830.
English translation, N. York, 1831. Reinhard proved the originality and superiority of the plan
of Christ above all the conceptions of previous sages and benefactors of the race.
J. G. Herder (d. 1803): Vom Erlöser der Menschen nach unsern 3 ersten Evang. Riga, 1796. The
same: Von Gottes Sohn, der Welt Heiland, nach Joh. Evang. Riga, 1797.
H. E. G. Paulus (Prof. in Heidelberg, d. 1851): Leben Jesu als Grundlage einer reinen Geschichte
des Urchristenthums. Heidelb. 1828, 2 vols. Represents the "vulgar" rationalism superseded
afterwards by the speculative rationalism of Strauss.
C. Ullmann (d. 1865): Die Sündlosigkeit Jesu. Hamb. 1828; 7th ed. 1864. Eng. translation (of 7th
ed.) by Sophia Taylor, Edinb. 1870. The best work on the sinlessness of Jesus. Comp. also his
essay (against Strauss), Historisch oder Mythisch? Gotha, 1838.
Karl Hase:Das Leben Jesu. Leipz. 1829; 5th ed. 1865. The same: Geschichte Jesu. Leipz. 1876.
Schleiermacher (d. 1834): Vorlesungen über das Leben Jesu, herausgeg. von Rütenik. Berlin, 1864.
The lectures were delivered 1832, and published from imperfect manuscripts. "Eine Stimme
aus vergangenen Tagen." Comp. the critique of D. F. Strauss in Der Christus des Glaubens
und der Jesus der Geschichte. Berlin, 1865.
D. F. Strauss (d. 1874): Das Leben Jesu kritisch bearbeitet. Tübingen, 1835–’36; 4th ed. 1840, 2
vols. French transl. by Emile Littré, Par. 1856 (2d ed.); Engl. transl. by Miss Marian Evans
(better known under the assumed name George Eliot),Lond. 1846, in 3 vols., republ. in N. York,- The same: Das Leben Jesu für das deutsche Volk bearbeitet. Leipz. 1864; 3d ed. 1875.
In both these famous works Strauss represents the mythical theory. It has been popularized in
the third volume of The Bible for Learners by Oort and Hooykaas, Engl. transl., Boston ed.
A. Neander (d. 1850): Das Leben Jesu. Hamb. 1837; 5th ed. 1852. A positive refutation of Strauss.
The same in English by McClintock and Blumenthal, N. York, 1848.
Joh. Nep. Sepp (R. C.): Das Leben Jesu Christi. Regensb. 1843 sqq. 2d ed. 1865, 6 vols. Much
legendary matter.
Jordan Bucher (R. C.):Das Leben Jesu Christi. Stuttgart, 1859.
A.D. 1-100.