1. Arthur Drews
2. Religious Controversies
3. Influence on Soviet Scholarship
4. National Socialism and the "German Religion" Movement
5. Death and Legacy

Arthur Drews

German Philosopher and Writer

Arthur Drews (1865-1935) was a prominent German philosopher, writer, and a significant representative of German monism. He held the position of Professor of Philosophy at the University of Karlsruhe. Drews gained recognition for his controversial works, which sparked intense debates.

Religious Controversies

Drews challenged orthodox religious beliefs and became a prominent German polemicist, along with Bruno Bauer and Albert Kalthoff, who questioned the historical existence of Jesus Christ. His 1909 work "Die Christusmythe" (The Christ Myth) ignited widespread protests from the Christian community and drew sharp criticism from historians, theologians, and New Testament scholars.

Influence on Soviet Scholarship

Despite facing controversy, Drews' work significantly influenced Soviet historiography of early Christianity. His arguments against the historicity of Jesus Christ were embraced by Soviet scholars, such as N.V. Rumyantsev, A.B. Ranovich, and R.Yu. Vipper.

National Socialism and the "German Religion" Movement

In his later years, Drews contributed to the "German Faith Movement," a form of neo-paganism. He published "Deutsche Religion" (German Religion), which combined elements of German paganism with Nazi mysticism. Drews also criticized the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche, labeling him as an "enemy of all things German" and an individualist whose ideas contradicted national socialism.

Death and Legacy

Drews passed away in a psychiatric institution in 1935 at the age of 70. His work, "The Christ Myth," has largely been forgotten in Germany, and its English translation has never been reissued. While direct evidence of Jesus Christ's historicity remains elusive, modern historians reject Drews' mythological theory based on new historical findings.

Philosophy