Christian David Friedrich Von Palmer
Christian David Friedrich Von Palmer [1]
a celebrated German Protestant theologian in the department of practical theology, was born Jan. 24. 1811, at Winnenden, near Stuttgard, in Wturtemberg. He received his early education at Schonthal, and he then entered the theological school at Tubingen, attending the lectures of Steudel, Baur, and Schmidt. In 1833 he passed a brilliant examination; in 1836 he was admitted as repetent into the Tubingen Stift; in 1839 he was appointed deacon at Marbach; in 1843, second deacon at Tubingen, five years later archdeacon; and in 1851 dean of the Tubingen diocese, and minister at Tubingen. In connection with his ministry, Palmer had also to lecture on paedagogics and national education, which lectures he continued until his death. In 1852 he was appointed professor in ordinary of homiletics, catechetics, morals, and paedagogics, and lectured besides on liturgy, the history of ecclesiastical music, and New-Testament exegesis. In 1852 he was honored with the degree of D.D., and ennobled by his monarch. In 1869 he was elected vice-president of the synod, and in 1870 the city of Tubingen elected him as its representltive in the diet; Palmer died May 29, 1875. As to his theology, it belonged to the so-called Vermittelungstheologie, i.e. to that evangelical branch of the Church which, though in a moderate sense conservative, yet favors progress and really represents in Germany the truly living theology of theage. His works, which have found a large circulation, are, Evangelische Homiletik (Stuttgard, 1842; 5th ed. 1867) Evangelische Katechetik (ibid. 1844; 5th ed, 1864): — Evangelische Paidagogik (1852; 4th ed. 1869): — Evangelische Pastoraltheologie (ibid. 1860; 2d ed. 1863): — Evangelische Hymnologie (ibid. 1865): — Die Moral des Christenthums (ibid. 1864): — Predigten (ibid. 1867): — Evangel. Casualreden (4th ed. 1864- 1865, 4 vols.): — Geistliches-u. Weltliches (ibid. 1873): — Predigten aus neuerer Zeit (ibid. 1874). Besides these scientific works, he wrote a number of essays and articles for the Jahrbiicher fr deutsche Theologie, of which review he was one of the editors since 1856; for the Encyklopddie fur das gesanmte Erziehungs und Unterrichtswesen, of which also he was one of the editors since 1859; and for Herzog's Real- Encyklopadie. The Wurtemberg Landes-Choralbuch, published in 1843, also owes to him a great deal. See Augsburger Allgem. Zeitung, June 14, 1875; Theologisches Universal-Lexikon, s.v.; Kurtz, Lehrbuch denr Kirnchengeschichte (7th ed. Milan, 1874), 2, 316;. Weissacker. Zur Erinnerlung an Dr. Palmer, in the Jaharbiicher Jur deutsche Theologie (1875), p. 353 sq.; Woorte der Erinnerung an. Dr. Palmer (Tubing. 1875); Literarischer Handweiser fur das katholische Deutschland.(1875), p. 252. (B. P.)
