Wilhelm Bousset

Wilhelm Bousset (1865-1920) was a German Protestant theologian and New Testament scholar who played a pivotal role in the History of Religions School (Religionsgeschichtliche Schule). His groundbreaking work "Kyrios Christos" (1913) traced the development of early Christian beliefs about Jesus from Palestinian Jewish messianism to Hellenistic divine lordship, arguing that the title "Kyrios" (Lord) and associated divine attributes were adopted through contact with Hellenistic mystery religions. This thesis fundamentally challenged traditional accounts of Christological development and sparked enduring debates about the origins of Christian conceptions of divinity. Bousset's comparative methodology, examining Christianity within its broader religious context, revolutionized the study of early Christian theology and the emergence of beliefs about Christ's divine nature. His work remains influential in discussions about how early Christians came to understand Jesus as divine and the relationship between Jewish monotheism and Christian theology.