Martensen, Hans Lassen

(1808–84)

   Bishop and Theologian.

   Martensen was born in Flensburg, Denmark, and was educated at the University of Copenhagen where he became Professor of Systematic Theology in 1840. In 1854, he was consecrated Bishop of Zealand. He is remembered primarily for his Den Christelige Dogmatik and his Den Christelige Ethik. Influenced by schleiermacher, hegel and the Roman Catholic thinker von Baader, he attempted to produce a synthesis between philosophy and theology, and religion and secular culture. He was a highly successful teacher and preacher. While he was a Bishop, he engaged in controversy with Kierkegaard, who insisted that there was no synthesis, but rather a radical gap, between reason and faith. He also wrote against both the Baptists and the Roman Catholics. Unusually for his time, he had some sympathy with the socialist aspirations of the Danish workers, but he was an authoritarian in religious matters and went so far as to insist on baptising the children of Baptists. In all he must be regarded as the most significant Danish churchman of his day.

   Martensen’s autobiographical reflections were published in Danish (1882/3) and translated into German, 3 vols (1883/4).