In the Footsteps of Schleiermacher: Ernst Troeltsch and the Legacy of the Glaubenslehre

In this paper, I will argue that Ernst Troeltsch’s Glaubenslehre represents a major development within the Schleiermachian tradition. To do so, I will first demonstrate how Troeltsch acts both as a bridge into the dialectical turn away from the lingering remnants of Ritschlianism, as well as its own alternative route that attempts to take up the Schleiermachian tradition in a new direction. Second, I will establish how Troeltsch’s constructive theological project is framed by his critical appropriation of Schleiermacher. Third, I will turn to Schleiermacher’s concept of the Spirit in order to show how it functions as the crucial hinge for Troeltsch’s understanding of his project as both a continuation and extension of Schleiermacher’s Gluabenslehre. Lastly, I will conclude with some suggestions about the constructive promise that a Troeltschian reading of Schleiermacher might bring to contemporary attempts at pursuing the project of Glaubenslehre today.