thumb|Friedrich Spitta

Friedrich Spitta (11 January 1852 – 7 June 1924) was a German Protestant theologian.

Biography

Spitta was born at Wittingen, Lower Saxony, the son of German hymn writer Karl Johann Philipp Spitta and brother of Philipp (music historian and musicologist best known for his biography of Johann Sebastian Bach). Friedrich studied at the universities of Göttingen and Erlangen, where he was a pupil of Johann Christian Konrad von Hofmann. In the course of time he became (1887) professor ordinarius and university preacher at St. Thomas, Strasbourg. In 1901 he was appointed university rector. In 1919 he was named a professor at the University of Göttingen. In 1896 he became joint editor, with Julius Smend, of the Monatschrift für Gottesdienst und kirchliche Kunst.

Writings

Spitta is widely known as the author of a work on the Acts of the Apostles, Die Apostelgeschichte, ihre Quellen and deren geschichtlicher Wert ("Acts of the Apostles, their sources and historical value", 1891). His other works include:

  • Der Knabe Jesus, eine biblische Geschichte and ihre apokryphischen Entstellungen (1883).
  • Der zweite Brief der Petrus und der Brief der Judas (1885).
  • Die Offenbarung des Johannes (1889).
  • Zur Reform des evang. Kultus (1891).
  • Zur Geschichte und Litteratur des Urchristentums (The history and literature of early Christianity; 3 volumes, 1893–1901) – considered to be his best known work.