TIELE, tele, CORNELIS PETRUS 1S30-1902 ) . A Dutch theologian. He was born near Leyden, and studied at Leyden and Amsterdam. He then entered the ministry, being connected with the Remonstrant or Radical sect of the Evangeli cal Church, and served churches at Moordrecht and Rotterdam (1353-1872). Meanwhile he con tinued his theological studies and published a valuable work on Zoroastrianism. De Godsdienst van Zarathustra (1864). In 1866 he began with Kuenen the editing of the Theologiseh Tijdsehrift, which at once became one of the leading Conti nental reviews. In 1872 he published a Com parative History of Egyptian and Semitic Re ligions. In 1873 he became professor of theology at the Remonstrant Seminary at Leyden, and while there published a Manual of the History of Religions (1876), which at once took a lead ing place in the literature of the subject. It has been translated into English (History of Re ligion, London, 1877). In 1877 Tiele became pro
fessor of the history and philosophy of religion. In 1893 he began the publication of a monu mental work on The Religions Down to the Days of Alexander the Great, three vol umes of which have appeared, and a fourth post humous volume is expected (translated into German, Gesehielite der Religion inn Alterthum, Gotha, 1895). In 1896-97 he gave two courses of lectures at Edinburgh on the Gifford Founda tion, published as The Elements of the Science of Religion (1897-99), and also in Holland and Germany. He also wrote the article "Religion" in the Eneyeloperdia Britannica, 9th ed. His Rabyloniseh-assyrische Gesehichte (Gotha, 1886 88) has but one rival in its extensive scope. Con sult notices by Jastrov in The Open Court. vol. xiv.: The Independent, vol. liv.; and The Study of Religion (New York, 1902).