New-York tribune., 1874-02-10
OBfTUA RY.
DAVID FRIEDRICH STRAUSS.

frlcdrlCh strauss, the eminent tnlnker and thoo
logical writer who represented in his own person
tho most pregnant results Of the critical spirit Of hs
age. and the widest departure from tho faith which
modern religious society has inherited from the past
His end not unexpected. For many months b.,
had been tho victim of incurable disease Of
whose issue he perfectly conscious, and which
ho bore with the serenity of philosopher, If not
with the hope Of the Christian. He was man Of
singular forttude and courage. He believed from
the bottom of his heart that the resourca,
of human nature were adequate 20 10,
exgencics. With a scornful distrust Of all illusions.
he chung with n vital grasp 10 what he regarded a,
reality. On the occasion of his brothers death a
few years ago. he expressed a stern delight in the
freedom from external supports with which he con
fronted his fate, and the stoical calmness with
which he left the joys of earth, with reliance
on the compensatons Of the future His own las.
hours doubtless fortified by the same spirit Of
acquiesceuce in the inevitable. If no made no pre-
tensions to the sweet tenderness Of Christian piety
he exhibited an example Of the masculine strength
of self-sufhcing manhood
Strauss was the member of athletic and brrl.
liant intellectual race He came from the sams
sturdy Swabian stock Schelling aud Hegel Schil.
Ter and INLAND, whose srrong progeny has Illus
trated alike the realms of philosophy aud poetry.
He born IN Wiirtemberg. near Stuttgart, 10 tho
year 1903 and had passed during the last month the
Goth anniversary of his birth. His academic educa-
ton was received at the University of Tubingen.
seat of learning noted less for its lberaty than
its eruditon and counting in its faculty illustrous
Catholic theoogians az well as Protestant diyines
At the age of "a he became iD-
structor in the theological department OF ths
university. and delivered course Of lee
lures on tho philosophy of Hegel. His subtle.
analytic mind had profound affinity with the specu
lations of that obscure. but original and vigorous
thinker The purely intellectual spirit Of his
philosophy was in perfect accordance with his own
mental tendencies, SO far as his Unborn love OF
freedom permitted the relation, he rejolced in bis
discipeship to so illustriOus master lie followed
the method of Hegel with fidelity and cordially
accepted its results. Especially in the sphere Of
history, he sought to penetrate the idea which
lay at the foundation of visible events.
In his view. thought was at the bottom
Of all reality. Existence itself was but
process Of the mind, and the secret of ths
universe was only to be discovered in the depths OF
consciousness. Every dogmatic system presented .
symbol of abstract truth. The most universal ideas
loved to clothe themselves in the form of parable
and myth. This was the germinal conception that
was subsequently expanded in the Life Of Jesus"
the great revolutionary work which aImed to con-
centrate the floating doubts of the century upon
scientific basis, and which has called forth
moro intrepid theological warfare than had
been waged since the epoch of the RefoTms'
tion. The first publication Of this book was
in 1885, Since that time it has passed
through repeated editions. In 1916, it was
translated into English by Marian Evans, tho
rarely gifted lady who has since attained so wide
celebrity as a writer Of fiction under the pseudonym
of George Eliot. The I" Life of Jesus at pro-
duced profound impression both in the religious
and philosophical world. Its bold assaults on tho
received doctrines of the Christian church awakened
an intense feeling of CONSERVATION and dread Not
that the utterances Of Strauss possessed the Charac
ter of absolute novelty. There had been vague
hints, dark surmlses airy tongues that syllabled'
tho same ideas since the time of Kant, and Leasing.
and Herder. The existence of myths in the sacred
recorshad been foreboded both by timorous and ven
turesome spirits who scarcely gave voice to their
thoughts. But it was Strauss who first clothed in
ariculate expression the shapeless suspicious that
haunted the age His work remarkable for is
gravity its calm earnestness its tone Of deep con-
yction and its ptiless blows upon the most precious
traditions of the faith. 1t showed no trace Of
frivolity OF flippancy, much less of the ribaldry
with which the shafts of skepticism are so often
pointed, but nothing was sacred from It's piercing
criticism, not the sentiment OF devout reverence.
not the associations which cluster round ancestral
memories, not the solemn fears and radiant hopes
which are embodied in the psalms and prayers Of the
universal Church.
The purpose of this work was TO place the Chris
tian revelation the ground of mythology instead
of history 1t resolved the gospels into legends and
the miracles into poetry At the same time il dis
covered the symbols of humanity in the narratives
of the New Testament. 1t recognized the ideas a
true though the facts false. Christianity pre-
sented the absolute religion, but religion recon.
structed on the principles of the Hegelian phoso-
ply. The work called forth able and decisive
replies from various quarters. 1t had the effect OF
giving new impulse TO the learning of the Church
inspiring it with a fresh vitality, making II more
practical and more humane. and bringing out more
tenable aspects of the faith which IL was ITS obect
to destroy. The influence OF Strauss, as we Judge
on the prominent thinkers of Germany has been
growing less and less with every year OF the ias'
decade and at the time of his death was reduced TO
the lowest point.
of late years Strauss had devoted his attention
chiefly TO studies Of purely Literary ps cnapaS'or o
Among his best productions are his monographs on
Schubert. Christian Marklin. Ulrlch von mu'sHenn;
and Voltaire. His most recent work ne ne Vio
Faith and the New which has been already TOO
largely noticed in our columns TO admit OF moro
than the briefest reference in TINS place. DO
voted a considerable portion OF ITS pages 10
literary and artistic criticism. lhe anthor at
temnted TO find in music and poetry the impulses
and excitements which he had failed TO experience
in religion With all his destructive tendencies In
,he snfere Of dOgmatism and history, II must be
acknowledged that he clung TO the ideal elements In
human nature and yearned for something more pos.
tive and substantial than the suggestions Oh
denial and doubt the monGtGnSus echoes OF sas
eminently conservative; he had no sympathy Win
the blind radcalism of many European reformers;
and il he reposed a deeper trust IN scence tnan a
theology IL was because he found III IL more so'
ereign remedy for human Woes
HERMAN MERIyALE.