Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

Get access

Dogmatics
(2,905 words)

1. Definition

Although theologians in the early church like Origen (3rd century CE) engaged de facto in dogmatics, the term dogmatics itself (Latin theologica dogmatica, from Greek dogmatikḗ, “teaching regarding the church’s teaching – dógma – i.e. “theological teaching, doctrine”) did not gain currency until the theology of the 17th century. During the early Enlightenment, J.F. Buddeus was the first to offer a definition, in his encyclopedic introduction to theology (1727) [11]: the term dogmatic…

Cite this page
Nüssel, Friederike, Walter, Peter and Wasmuth, Jennifer, “Dogmatics”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_COM_018386>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170626



▲   Back to top   ▲