Crisis and Compromise

Chapter 9 examines the fallout from the reaction against Das Leben Jesu on Strauß’s life and writing. It first considers Strauß’s personal crisis from the spring of 1837 to 1838 when he fell into a deep depression because of his social isolation, which was the result of his reputation as a heretic. It then treats Strauß’s attempt to restore his reputation by revising some of his critical conclusions about the gospel of John in the third edition of Das Leben Jesu. It is argued that Strauß did not really retract his earlier conclusions but only slightly qualified them. This chapter also examines Strauß’s Zwei friedliche Blätter, where he attempted to modify his concept of Jesus so that he would be acceptable to a more orthodox Christian public. Though he was no longer divine in status, Jesus was now regarded as a genius.