Eduard Zeller

1814-1908. German Protestant theologian and philosopher. A student and later son-in-law of F.C. Baur,* Zeller first taught theology at Tübingen (1840-47), Bern (1847-49), and finally Marburg (1849-62); in 1862 he changed to philosophy, going first to Heidelberg (1862-72) and then Berlin (1872ff.). He was the founder of the journal Theologische Jahrbücher (1842-57), which served as an organ for publication of the views of the [[Tübingen School]].* In a series of articles (1848-51) which were later published in book form under the title The [[Acts of the Apostles]] according to its Contents and Origin Critically Investigated (1854; ET, 2 vols., 1875-76), he attempted a detailed application and demonstration of the Tübingen theory of early Christian origins to Luke's second volume. Here he combined the Tendenzkritik (tendency- criticism) of Baur with the “mystical” approach of Strauss* and proceeded to call into question the essential historicity of Acts. Zeller also wrote a classic history of Greek philosophy (3 vols., 1845-52), a history of modern German philosophy (1873), and a biography of D.F. Strauss (1874).