Franz Hermann Reinhold von Frank

1827-1894. German Lutheran theologian. A professor at Erlangen from 1857, he was the systematizer of the Erlangen School. In his basic work System der christlichen Gewissheit (1870-73) he proceeds from the experience of rebirth as a certainty in self-consciousness. There are certain necessary objects of belief in this experience, namely, the immanent (sin, righteousness, certainty of perfection), transcendent (church, means of grace, revelation, inspiration). By working from the subject to the necessary reality, the Christian's experience is validated. In System der christlicher Wahrheit (1878-80), Frank moves from the ultimate principles of the spiritual world to the subject. In both his approach was apologetic, i.e., to make the certainty of faith secure in face of modern doubt.