Friedrich Schleiermacher

Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834) is one of the most significant theologians, philologists, and philosophers of the German Idealism and Romanticism era. With his nearly complete, exemplary translation of Plato into German, he became a pioneer in Platonic studies. His principal theological work, "Christian Faith," is considered as significant within the context of evangelical (Protestant) theology as the works of Luther and Calvin. In philosophy, he stands as the leading representative of the romantic direction of German Idealism and is regarded as the founder of philosophical Hermeneutics. Additionally, his book "On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers" (1799) is a foundational work in the philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, and German literature.