THOLITCK, FRIEDR. AUG. GOTTREU, a German Protestant theologian whose reputa tion is perhaps greater in England and America than at home, was born at Breslau, March 30, 1799, and studied, first, at the university of his native city, and afterward at Berlin, where oriental studies claimed his special regard, the first fruits of which was his Sujismus site Theosophia Persarum Pantheistica (Berl. 1821). The state of his relig ious opinions may be conceived from his own confession, that when he left Breslau, he thought nearly as much of Mohammedanism as of Christianity. The influence of Nean der, however, and still more of baron you Kottwitz, a philantropic Christian nobleman, of Silesia, produced a radical change in his convictions and modes-of thought, and as early as 1823 he appeared as a champion of evangelical doctrines in his Wahre Welke des Zweifiers (True Consecration of the Skeptic; 7th ed. published at Hamb. 1851, under the title of The Doctrine of Sin and the Propitiator, and translated into English, French, Danish, Swedish, and Dutch). Next year he published his Auslegung des Briefs an die Romer (Exposition of the Epistle to the Romans; Berl. 1824; 4th ed. 1842; also translated into English and other languages). About the same time he was appointed extraordi nary professor of theology at Berlin, and in 1825 he paid a visit to England. On his return in 1826 he succeeded Knapp as ordinary professor of theology at Halle, where, with the exception of a brief official sojourn at Rome, he has ever since remained. Tho luck's position at Halle, was far from pleasant at first, for the majority of the theologi cal faculty, among whom was Gesenius, were very decided rationalists, and did all in their power to make the new professor miserable, but the latter, though not a man of very powerful intellect, was filled with a quiet, earnest, resolute faith, and be continued his evangelical labors in spite of all opposition, until they were crowned with success.
The university of IIalle is at present, mainly owing to Tholuck, as thoroughly Chris tian, though not, perhaps, so strictly orthodox, as it was in the days of Francke. His kindness (and that of his wife) toward students, especially poor students, is proverbial, and has contributed not a little to his fame abroad. In 1843 he was chosen a member of the consistory of Magdeburg, where be becames superior councilor in 1867. Besides the works already mentioned, we may specify among his exegetical writings his Prak tischer Commentar zu den Psalmen (Practical Commentary on the Psalms; Hamb. 1843); Commentar zum Evangelium Johannis (Commentary on the Gospel of John; 6th ed. Hamb. 1844); Commentar runt Briefe an die Irebraer (Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews; 3d ed. Hamb. 1850); Philosophisch-theologische Auslegung der Bergpredigt (Philosophico theological Exposition of the Sermon on the 31ount; 3d ed. Hamb. 1845). Of his dog matic writings, the principal are contained in Literarischer Anzeiger fur Christliche Theologie undWissenschaft, a journal now discontinued; and in his Glaubwiirdigkeit der .Evang. Geschichte (Credibility of the'Gospel History; Hamb. 1837); a treatise directed against Strauss's Leben Jesu. Among his contributions to history of theology are to be reckoned his Vermischte Schriftengrosstentheas apologetischen Inhalts (2 vols. Hamb. 1839); Der Geist der Luth. 2 heologen Wittenbergs int 17 Jahr (The Spirit of the Lutheran Theo logians of Wittenberg in the 17th Century; Hamb. 1852); Das Academische Leben des 17 Jahrh (The Academic Life of the 17th Century; Halle, 1853-54); and his Geschichte des Rationalismus (History of Rationalism), of which several parts—notably a Vorgeschichte des 1?ationalismus—have already appeared, but which is still unfinished. Besides these may be mentioned several volumes of sermons. Tholuck died at Halle, June 9, 1877.