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Though the [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Canonical_Gospels four gospels] have been regarded as [[canon]]ical since [[Irenaeus]] in the 2nd century, Harnack - like earlier German scholars - rejected the [[Gospel of John]] as without historical [[value]] regarding Jesus' life:

Though the [https://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Category:Canonical_Gospels four gospels] have been regarded as [[canon]]ical since [[Irenaeus]] in the 2nd century, Harnack - like earlier German scholars - rejected the [[Gospel of John]] as without historical [[value]] regarding Jesus' life:

:"In particular, the fourth Gospel, which does not emanate or profess to emanate from the apostle John, cannot be taken as an historical [[authority]] in the ordinary [[meaning]] of the [[word]]. The [[author]] of it acted with sovereign freedom, transposed events and put them in a strange [[light]], drew up the [[discourse]]s himself, and illustrated great thoughts by imaginary situations. Although, therefore, his work is not altogether devoid of a real, if scarcely recognisable, traditional element, it can hardly make any claim to be considered an authority for Jesus’ history; only little of what he says can be accepted, and that little with caution. On the other hand, it is an authority of the first rank for answering the question, What vivid views of Jesus’ person, what kind of light and warmth, did the Gospel disengage?"[http://www.ccel.org/ccel/harnack/christianity.iii.ii.html] Note that the word "disengage" here is a mistranslation of the word ''entbunden'' which appears in the [http://www.archive.org/details/daswesendeschris00harnuoft original German text], which would be better rendered "give birth to", "set in motion" or "release"  

:"In particular, the fourth Gospel, which does not emanate or profess to emanate from the apostle John, cannot be taken as an historical [[authority]] in the ordinary [[meaning]] of the [[word]]. The [[author]] of it acted with sovereign freedom, transposed events and put them in a strange [[light]], drew up the [[discourse]]s himself, and illustrated great thoughts by imaginary situations. Although, therefore, his work is not altogether devoid of a real, if scarcely recognisable, traditional element, it can hardly make any claim to be considered an authority for Jesus’ history; only little of what he says can be accepted, and that little with caution. On the other hand, it is an authority of the first rank for answering the question, What vivid views of Jesus’ person, what kind of light and warmth, did the Gospel disengage?"[https://www.ccel.org/ccel/harnack/christianity.iii.ii.html] Note that the word "disengage" here is a mistranslation of the word ''entbunden'' which appears in the [https://www.archive.org/details/daswesendeschris00harnuoft original German text], which would be better rendered "give birth to", "set in motion" or "release"  

Harnack denied the possibility of miracles but argued that Jesus may well have performed acts of healing that seemed miraculous: "That the [[earth]] in its course stood still; that a she-ass spoke; that a storm was quieted by a word, we do not believe, and we shall never again believe; but that the lame walked, the blind saw, and the deaf heard will not be so summarily dismissed as an illusion."

Harnack denied the possibility of miracles but argued that Jesus may well have performed acts of healing that seemed miraculous: "That the [[earth]] in its course stood still; that a she-ass spoke; that a storm was quieted by a word, we do not believe, and we shall never again believe; but that the lame walked, the blind saw, and the deaf heard will not be so summarily dismissed as an illusion."

==Bibliography==

==Bibliography==

===Harnack Titles===

===Harnack Titles===

# [http://books.google.com/books?id=ozgkbKjXQIEC&printsec=titlepage#PPP7,M1 '''''What is Christianity?''''']

# [https://books.google.com/books?id=ozgkbKjXQIEC&printsec=titlepage#PPP7,M1 '''''What is Christianity?''''']

# [http://books.google.com/books?id=3AcNAAAAIAAJ History of Dogma]

# [https://books.google.com/books?id=3AcNAAAAIAAJ History of Dogma]

# [http://books.google.com/books?id=WMIMAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack Essays on the Social Gospel]

# [https://books.google.com/books?id=WMIMAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack Essays on the Social Gospel]

# [http://books.google.com/books?id=IOETAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack Thoughts on the Present Position of Protestantism]

# [https://books.google.com/books?id=IOETAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack Thoughts on the Present Position of Protestantism]

# [http://books.google.com/books?id=ROU2AAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack&lr= New Testament Studies] Multi-volume

# [https://books.google.com/books?id=ROU2AAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack&lr= New Testament Studies] Multi-volume

# [http://books.google.com/books?id=E77IcBVtazoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack&lr= Monasticism,, Its Ideals and History]

# [https://books.google.com/books?id=E77IcBVtazoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack&lr= Monasticism,, Its Ideals and History]

# [http://books.google.com/books?id=OFwXAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack&lr= The Mission and Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries]

# [https://books.google.com/books?id=OFwXAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack&lr= The Mission and Expansion of Christianity in the First Three Centuries]

# [http://books.google.com/books?id=JKsMAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack&lr= Outlines of the History of Dogma]

# [https://books.google.com/books?id=JKsMAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=adolf+von+harnack&lr= Outlines of the History of Dogma]

===See Also===

===See Also===

# '''''[[Adolf Harnack and the Search for Missing Christianity]]'''''

# '''''[[Adolf Harnack and the Search for Missing Christianity]]'''''

#''Adolf von Harnack. Christentum, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft'', Kurt Nowak et al., eds., Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2003, ISBN 3-525-35854-7 is the best recent assessment of Harnack and his impact from a variety of perspectives.

#''Adolf von Harnack. Christentum, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft'', Kurt Nowak et al., eds., Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2003, ISBN 3-525-35854-7 is the best recent assessment of Harnack and his impact from a variety of perspectives.

#[http://books.google.com/books?id=ivUDAQAAIAAJ&q=Religion+in+Essence+and+Manifestation&dq=Religion+in+Essence+and+Manifestation&lr= Religion and Essence and Manifestation by Gerardus Leeuw]

#[https://books.google.com/books?id=ivUDAQAAIAAJ&q=Religion+in+Essence+and+Manifestation&dq=Religion+in+Essence+and+Manifestation&lr= Religion and Essence and Manifestation by Gerardus Leeuw]

#[http://books.google.com/books?id=bTnrRG-bn4MC Reflections on the Study of Religion by Jean Jacques Waardenburg] esp. ''Part 3, The Phenomenology of Religion Reconsidered''

#[https://books.google.com/books?id=bTnrRG-bn4MC Reflections on the Study of Religion by Jean Jacques Waardenburg] esp. ''Part 3, The Phenomenology of Religion Reconsidered''

==External links==

==External links==

*[http://www.harnack-forum.de Harnack-Forum (German Website)]

*[https://www.harnack-forum.de Harnack-Forum (German Website)]

*[http://www.ccel.org/h/harnack/ Works by Adolf Harnack at CCEL (English)]

*[https://www.ccel.org/h/harnack/ Works by Adolf Harnack at CCEL (English)]

==References==

==References==