HARLESS, GOTTLIEB CHRISTOPH ADOLF VON: German Lutheran; b. at Nuremberg Nov. 21, 1806; d. at Munich Sept. 7, 1879. He Student early devoted himself to music and Days. poetry, and was attracted by ancient and German classical literature, espe cially by Jean Paul. But he was indifferent to Christianity, and even felt an aversion to it, and firmly decided never to study theology. In 1823 he entered the University of Erlangen, at first studying philology, and then law. But he was interested in neither science, and finally tried theol ogy. He was not decisively influenced by any of the professors, except perhaps by Winer, and was, indeed, in his spiritual development independent of his teachers. His chief desire was to understand the reasons for the objective power of the Christian religion in the life of the people and the history of the world. He thought the philosophy of Hegel best adapted to the solution of this problem, but later found that even this system did not satisfy his .innermost needs. Thus he was at last led to the philosophy of Spinoza, in whose system he searched for the roots of Hegel's and Schelling's philosophy. For this purpose he removed, in 1826, to the University of Halle, where he was especially attracted by Tholuck's personality. In the midst of these philosophical studies he conceived the plan of studying the whole literature of the ancient philosophers, of the earlier teachers of the Church, of the theologians of the Reformation, and of the later theologians and philosophers from the stand point of human freedom and evil, and to put the results in writing. Although the work was never published, it contributed much to his development. Harless received a further impulse from his study of Pascal's Pens~es, but about this time became con vinced that his heart was not right with God, and that his ways were perverse. He now turned to the confessional writings of the Lutheran Church and, to his surprise, found their contents in con formity with the experience of his faith. The chief attraction in the Lutheran confession was, for him, the doctrine of justification, which hence forth became the central point of his Christianity and theology. In 1828 Harless returned from Halle to Erlangen as privat-docent in theology, and three years later became professor of New Testament exegesis. The appointment was important not only for the

history of the theological faculty at Erlangen, which owed its later conservative tendency and its flour-

ishing condition chiefly to Harless, but Professor for Lutheran orthodox theology in at Erlangen general. In 1836 he became ordinary

and professor, and as such lectured also Leipsic. on Christian ethics, theological ency-

clopedia, and methodology. In 1836 he became preacher of the university. He declined calls to Rostock, Berlin, Dorpat, and Zurich. In 1840 he was appointed delegate of the chamber of states in Munich to defend the rights of the Lutheran Church against the violent measures of the ministry. Harless won great popularity by defending the interests of his church with ability and manliness, but the opposition party succeeded in removing him in 1845 to Baireuth as second councilor of the consistory. In the same year, however, he was appointed professor of theology in Leipsic, where his activity reached its highest development. In Saxony rationalism was still flourishing, but the brilliant personality of Harless and the earnestness and depth of his presentation of Evangelical truth soon conquered it, and his influence upon the students was not less powerful than in Erlangen. In Leipsic he lectured for the first time on dogmatics, and also developed into one of the most powerful and brilliant preachers of his time. Before the, end of two years he was appointed preacher at St.

Nicolai, in addition to his duties as professor.

In 1850 he removed to Dresden as court preacher, reporting councilor in the ministry of public in-

struction, and vice-president of the President state consistory, but two years later of the was called by King Max II. to his

Bavarian native state of Bavaria as president

Consistory. of the supreme consistory. Here the soil had been already prepared for the Lutheran confession. It was only Lohe and his adherents who opposed the existing condition of the State Church, and insisted upon an entire change, or, if this should be impossible, upon separation. Owing to the influence of Harless, however, who was a friend of Lohe from former days, the latter did not altogether separate himself from the State Church. Harless conquered the remaining opposition of rationalism in the congregations by his manly conduct and his personal spirit of reconciliation. A new hymn-book in the spirit of orthodox Lutheranism was soon introduced. The introduction of a new order of church service was more difficult. Here the question of private confession, which was confused with auricular confession, occasioned a new revolt of the opposition, but the organization of the State Church, firmly established under Harless, finally achieved the victory.

Harless now became the universally acknowledged leader and faithful mentor of the whole Lutheran Church, and his advice was eagerly sought in all quarters of the world. He presided for a bng time over the missionary board at Leipsic. During the later years he was almost blind from cataract.

His three most important works were written while professor at Erlangen, as his later public activity left him little time for literary work. They are: Commentar über den Brief Pauli an die Ephesier

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(Erlangen, 1834); Theologische Eneyklop4die and Methodologie vom Standpunkte der protestantischen Kirche (Nuremberg, 1837); and Christ Writings. lithe Ethik (Stuttgart, 1842); Eng. transl., Edinburgh, 1868). The com mentary and the work on ethics marked an epoch in their respective spheres. The encyclopedia is less im portant for its methodological arrangement than for Harless' clear and energetic views of the Church, the main points being the close relation of theology to the Church; the unity of theory and practise in a common living faith; the living continuity of the Church from her very foundation as an ideal factor of history; the emphasis of a common faith as the basis of Protestant theology; the entire transformation of this theology by the principle of justification; the necessity of preserving the prin ciples of the Reformation in their purity; the obscurity caused by the later Protestant scholas ticism, which considered the dogmas laid down in the confessional writings of the Church as the final conclusion of all dogmatic knowledge; and the sound reaction against this tendency by the Pietistic movement. The Christliche Ethik (Eng. transl., System of Christian Ethics, Edinburgh, 1865), is without doubt Harless' most important work. Its chief excellences are its scientific structure, the emphasis and consistent application of the Chris tian ethical principle, and the interrelation and connection of the Biblical factor with the historical factor in the more general sense of the word.

(R. Stahelin.)

Bibliography: Stghelin, in Zeitedritt far kirehliche Wissen aehaft and Leben, 1880, pp. 88 sqq., 145 sqq.; idem, LOW, Thomaaius, Harlaes. Drei Lebow- and Geschichtsbilder, Leipsic, 1887; C. Mirbt, in Better far bayerische Kirchen geschichte, 1898; Langsdorff, A. won Harlese, Leipsic, 1888.