Vorlesungen über die Praktische Theologie

Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher (1768 - 1834) was, in Berlin, an eminent preacher, professor, and member of the academy. He displayed an influential theological and philosophical position between enlightenment, German idealism, and romanticism.

The historical-critical edition of Schleiermacher's complete works, his unpublished writings and correspondence, published since 1980, has been divided into the following five sections:
I. Writings and Drafts
II. Lectures
III. Sermons
IV. Translations
V. Correspondence and Biographical Documents

The first editorial section, Writings and Drafts, includes all of Schleiermacher's writings which were printed during his lifetime except those which belong to the editorial sections III and IV. It also includes manuscripts either relating to these printed works or to drafts which do not belong to other editorial sections. In 2003, the final two text volumes (vols. 13 and 14) appeared. In 2005, the index volume with some addenda was published.

The second editorial section, Lectures, contains all the material regarding Schleiermacher's extentsive lecturing both in Theological and Philosophical Faculties. Additional material is also drawn from notes made in his lecture by his students. (The Berlin Research Centre has been carrying out the editorial work on this section since 1989.)

The third section, Sermons, includes all of Schleiermacher's published sermons authorised by himself, as well as his own handwritten drafts and records by listeners where the original text has not been preserved. (The Kiel Research Centre has been working on this section between 2003 and 2017.) This edition of Schleiermacher's sermons consist of a total of 14 volumes of approximately 600 pages each, plus an index volume.

The forth section, Translations, has two main components. Schleiermacher translated Hugh Blair's and Joseph Fawcett's sermons (as well as parts of Mungo Park's Travels in the Interior Districts of Africa) from English into German (volumes 1 and 2). Further this sections will contain Schleiermacher's translation of Platon from Greek into German (beginning with volume 3).

Section V. includes the letters from and to Schleiermacher, as well as bibliographical documents. The work on this section started in 1979 in the Schleiermacher Research Center Berlin. So far (May 2020), 13 volumes have been published, documenting letters until December 1816.

Die Vorlesungen zur Praktischen Theologie gehören zu den Hauptwerken des bedeutenden Theologen und Philosophen Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834). Schleiermacher gilt als Urheber der Praktischen Theologie als wissenschaftlicher Disziplin. Nach seinen eigenen Worten ist die Praktische Theologie die Krone des theologischen Studiums. Als Endzweck der theologischen Wissenschaft bündelt sie den Stoff der theologischen Einzeldisziplinen und hält ihn zusammen: Religions- und Christentumstheorie, Exegese, Kirchengeschichte und Dogmatik, Ästhetik und Pädagogik, pastorale Praxis und auch Fragen zur Kirchenverfassung und Kirchenpolitik; letztere stellen als "Theorie des Kirchenregiments" einen eigenen Hauptteil der Disziplin dar.

Zwischen 1812 und 1833 hielt Schleiermacher zehn praktisch-theologische Vorlesungen; in ihnen schlagen sich auch seine langjährigen Erfahrungen als Prediger, Seelsorger und Kirchenpolitiker nieder. Im Rahmen der Kritischen Gesamtausgabe liegen die praktisch-theologischen Vorlesungen hier erstmals in einer kritischen Edition vor: sämtliche Manuskripte Schleiermachers sowie sechs umfangreiche Nachschriften verschiedener Vorlesungsjahrgänge.