Hans Conzelmann

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Hans Conzelmann (October 27, 1915 – June 20, 1989) was a German scholar who made many significant contributions to New Testament research in the twentieth century. One of his major works was Die Mitte Der Zeit (Tübingen, 1954), literally 'The Middle of Time', which was translated into English under the title, The Theology of St. Luke. This work, which approached Lukan theology by way of Redaction Criticism, paved the way for much scholarly discussion in the second half of the twentieth century. Conzelmann, along with other post-Bultmannian scholars, challenges the dominant view that Jesus was an apocalyptic figure, but rather focused on the message of Christ as one that was the kingdom of God breaking into the present. This was a direct challenge to the portrait of Jesus as one expecting an imminent eschaton.

Conzelmann contends that Jesus' teaching about eschatology is strikingly unconnected to his words about God and ethics. These areas of his teaching are, however, linked by Jesus' understanding of himself "as one who opens up immediacy to God in every relationship" (Luke Timothy Johnson, The Writings of The New Testament, p. 127). Jesus did not regard himself as Messiah, Son of God, or Son of Man.