‘Doctor of the church’ : Gerhard Ebeling

Abstract

This article’s point of departure is the camaraderie of two eminent Protestant theologians, Gerhard Ebeling and Ernst Fuchs. From the perspective of Eberhard Jüngel, Ebeling is described as a ‘doctor of the church’. Focusing on Ebeling’s autobiographical notes, the article describes his upbringing in a solid churchgoing family, the effect of critical theological training in Marburg and the influence of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Rudolf Bultmann on his theological convictions. It points out Ebeling’s interest in the Reformer Martin Luther. The article follows Ebeling’s career in Zürich and Tübingen, and the way in which his visits to the US positively influenced his life and thinking.