Troeltsch, Ernst

Created: 2025-Jan-26

Bio: (1865-1923) German theologian, historian and philosopher. Ernst Troeltsch studied Lutheran theology at the universities of Erlangen, Göttingen, and Berlin. He taught theology at the universities of Göttingen, Bonn, and Heidelberg (1894), after which, until his death, he taught philosophy at the University of Berlin.

In his book The Social Teaching of the Christian Churches (1912), Troeltsch further developed Weber’s typology of religious thought and participation. Troeltsch presents three different approaches to Christianity that developed over time: (1) church – it is an institution that can adjust to the outside world; (2) sect - a voluntary association of believers, separated from the outside world; and (3) mysticism - the personal emotional experience of Christian teachings. Troeltsch argues that in early Christianity there were two basic tendencies of organizational development. The first stressed the importance of unity of free and equal believers, they had idealistic tendencies and they kept apart from wider society. The second stressed the importance of a strong organization that can implement its practical goals. Church developed from the first tendency and sect from the first tendency. The church is more conservative, and it wants to integrate with the state and upper classes and use them as a means of ruling all aspects of the public and private lives of believers. The sect is a small organization oriented to inner perfection and close relationship with believers. Sect functions outside wider society and has an uninterested or hostile relationship with it. Sects are often oriented toward oppressed classes of people. Misticism, as a third type of approach to Christianity developed as a result of conflicts between churches and sects.

Troeltsch argued that the church type was better from an organizational perspective. On one hand, it provides historical continuity, but it is also more adaptive to changing historical circumstances.