Collection inventory

Overview of the Collection
Creator:	Bultmann, Rudolf, 1884-1976.
Title:	Rudolf Karl Bultmann Papers
Inclusive Dates:	1912-1965
Quantity:	4.0 linear ft.
Abstract:	Papers of the German dialectical theologian. Correspondence (a few original letters but mostly photoopies), manuscripts (mostly in German), lectures, notebooks, published material. There are also recordings from a 1986 symposium on Bultmann and his work.
Language:	English and German
Repository:	Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Ave., Suite 600 Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center/university-archives

Biographical History

Rudolf Karl Bultmann (1884-1976) was a German dialectical theologian.

Born in Germany in what was then the grand duchy of Oldenburg, Bultmann studied theology at the Universities of Tübingen, Berlin, and Marburg; at the latter he was influenced by systematic and liberal theologian Wilhelm Hermann and New Testament scholars Johannes Weiss and Wilhelm Heitmüller. He received his PhD from Marburg in 1910 and shortly thereafter began teaching, first at Breslau and then at Marburg where he was made a full professor and taught for thirty years. His colleagues there included Rudolph Otto, Martin Heidegger, Karl Barth and Friedrich Gogarten. His History of the Synoptic Tradition (1921) is still highly regarded as an essential tool for gospel research. Bultmann was a proponent of "form-criticism," an approach which attempted to discover historical roots of religious writings. Bultmann held that "[t]he aim of form-criticism is to determine the original form of a piece of narrative, a dominical saying or a parable. In the process we learn to distinguish secondary additions and forms, and these in turn lead to important results for the history of the tradition."

[Adapted from "Rudolf Karl Bultmann" in Boston Collaborative Encyclopedia of Modern Western Theology]

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Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Karl Bultmann Papers consists of correspondence, interviews, writings, memorabilia, printed material, and symposium material.

Correspondence, the vast majority of which consists of photocopies rather than originals, covers more than 50 years. Notable correspondents include Albert Schweitzer, Gerhard Bergmann, Schubert Ogden, and Thomas C. Odun.

Interviews contains the text of two interviews, one print and one television.

Writings contains interviews, class lecture notes, essays, and books.

Memorabilia includes articles about Bultmann, class notebooks, material from Syracuse University, and a poster advertising a symposium on Bultmann.

Published material contains two articles in German.

Rudolf Bultmann Symposium consists of audiorecordings from a symposium on Bultmann and a poster advertising the event.

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Arrangement of the Collection

Original correspondence is alphabetical by name of correspondent. Photocopied correspondence is arranged chronologically. Writings are subdivided by type; within each type, itmes are in no particular order. Printed material is alphabetical by title. Memorabilia is arranged alphabetically by type of material.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

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Subject Headings

Persons

Subjects

Genres and Forms

Occupations

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Rudolf Karl Bultmann Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Rudolf Karl Bultmann, 1964.

Numerous additions, gift of Antje Lemke, 1968-1987.

Poster, gift of Syracuse University Library Associates, 1984 or 1986.

Original Holland correspondence, gift of Christine Dobson-Kelley, 2025.

Finding Aid Information

Created by: --
Date: Oct 1966
Revision history: 3 Dec 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC); 15 Jun 2015 - processed posters, updated rights statement (MRC); 12 Sep 2016 - updates/corrections (MS); 1 Oct 2019 - use restriction lifted (MRC); 28 Jan 2026 - Holland correspondence added, "Miscellaneous" series renamed "Rudolf Bultmann Symposium," miscellaneous stylistic changes to finding aid (MRC)

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Inventory

	Correspondence, original
Box 1		Bergmann, Gerhard 1963
Box 1		Holland, Kenneth 1965
			Gift of Christine Dobson-Kelly, 2025.
Box 1		Odun, Thomas C. 1963
Box 1		Ogden, Schubert 1955, 1961
Box 1		Schweitzer, Albert 1912, 1929, 1931
			Gift of Antje Lamke, 1965

	Correspondence, photocopies
Box 1		General 1916-1921, 1923-1924, 1926-1932, 1936-1943, 1946-1964, 1968, undated (45 folders)

	Interviews
		Gift of Antje Lamke, 1969
Box 1		Der Spiegel, "Ist Jesus auferstanden wie Goethe?" 1966
			According to note from donor, this "was a controversial issue, and has not been reprinted at any other place...the interview was not tapes, but the journalist had written questions which which R.B. answered in writing, and it was edited in the form of an interview."
Box 1		TV, "Glauben und Verstehen" and "Theology and the Church in the 20th century" Jan 9, 1969
			According to note from donor, this "was a live interview, for which the interviewer had sent questions in advance, and R.B. prepared answers, which he read."

	Writings
		Lectures
Box 2			Class lecture notes, Galather brief
Box 2			Class lecture notes, Konuther briefe
Box 2			Class lecture notes, Philipen brief
Box 2			Class lecture notes, Urchristundunn (2 folders)
Box 2			Jenseits Vorstellungen / Concepts of life after death from primitive religions to German idealism 1918 or 1919 - for lecture series given at the Volkshochschule Breslau
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1969
Box 2			"Der Christ liche Gotteslaube und der Moderne Mensch" 1963
Box 3			"Die religiosen Stromungen inder hellenistischen Kultur" 1920's
Box 3			"Religions movement in Hellenistic times"
Box 3			"Griecheneum, Judentum, und Christentum" 1930-1940's - includes notes (3 folders)
Box 3			"Jesus Christ and the modern interpretation of the New Testament" 1951
		Books
Box 3			Kommentar zu den Johannesbriefen(Commentary to the letters of John)
Box 4			Kommentar zu den Johannesbriefen
		Book reviews
Box 4			Korner, Eschatologie und Geschichte
Box 4			Miscellaneous
		Miscellaneous
Box 4			"Geschichte und Eschatologie"
Box 4			"Geschichte und Tradition"
Box 4			Habilitation thesis 1912
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1970
Box 5			Corpus Hermeneuticum / Christian hermeneutivs circa 1928
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1970
Box 5			"Exegetica" (published)
Box 5			Faith, Love, Hope 1920
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1970
Box 5			"God and Salvation in Paul" (essay)
Box 5			Humanism and Christianity 1948
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1970
Box 5			"Marburger Predigten" 1956 - page proofs
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1969
Box 5			The mirror motif in Paul 1918
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1970
Box 5			"Pessimismus und Optimismus in Antiken Welt" (essay)
Box 5			"Reflections on Christian education"
Box 5			Bemerkungen zu Wilhelm Kamlah, Christentum und selbstbehauptung / Reflections on Wilhelm Kamlah's Christianity and the assertion of self 1940
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1969
Box 5			Suffering in the New Testament circa 1940
				Gift of Antje Lamke, 1970
Box 5			"Zum Problem der Entmy Thologisierung"
Box 5			"Zur Frage nach den Quellen der Apostelgeschichte" 1958
Box 5			"Das Verhauduis der Geschichte in Griechentum und Christentum" 1960
Box 5			"Das Verhauduis der Christusbolschaft zum historichon" 1960
Box 5			Unidentified

	Memorabilia
Box 5		Articles about Bultmann
Box 5		Class notebooks, Tübingen-Berlin-Merburg 1903-1908, undated (16 volumes)
			Gift of Antje Lamke, 1969
Map-Case 99		Poster, unidentified
			Gift of Syracuse University Library Associates, 1984 or 1986.
Box 6		Syracuse University, spring semester 1959 - manuscripts and clippings
			Includes manuscripts for three lectures, later published in English and German: What alienates modern man from Christianity The concept of freedom in classical antiquity and in Christianity Hendricks Chapel sermon on Matthew 25:31-40
			Gift of Antje Lamke, 1969

	Printed material
Box 6		"Staat-Kirche-Religion-Schule" 1919
Box 6		"Das Urchristentum" 1986 reprint, c1949

	Rudolf Bultmann Symposium
		Gift of Antje Lamke, 1969.
Map-Case 99		Poster advertising "Rudolf Bultmann Symposium" 17 Jan 1986
Box 7		Bultmann symposium recording, tape #1 1986 (audiocassette) (ID#: bultmann_rk_001)
Box 7		Bultmann symposium recording, tape #2 1986 (audiocassette) (ID#: bultmann_rk_002)
Box 7		Bultmann symposium recording, tape #3 1986 (audiocassette) (ID#: bultmann_rk_003)

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