Wilhelm Stählin

Wilhelm Stählin (24 September 1883, Gunzenhausen, Bavaria – 16 December 1975, Prien am Chiemsee, Bavaria) was a German Lutheran theologian, bishop and preacher. He was one of the major initiators of the Liturgical Movement in German Protestantism in the 20th Century.

Life

Early life After completing his school education in Augsburg Stählin began studying theology in 1901 in Erlangen, Rostock and Berlin. In 1905 he completed this theological examinations and served afterwards as a vicar in Bavaria. After a trip to England in 1908 Stählin became a parish pastor in Egloffstein and married. In 1913 he received his doctorate at the University of Marburg. His dissertation dealt with the problem of biblical metaphors. In 1914 he founded the "Gesellschaft für Religionspsychologie" (The Society for Religious Psychology) and published the "Archive for Religious Psychology". At the same time he established contact with the German Youth Movement of that time. In 1917 he became a parish pastor in Nürnberg. After World War I he intensified his contact to the German youth movement. In 1923 he was one of the initiators of the Berneuchen Movement and in 1931 of the affiliated St. Michael's Brotherhood. This movement saw its goal in a liturgical renewal of Protestantism. In 1926 Stählin became a professor for practical theology at the Westphalian Wilhelms-Universität in Münster.

As an exponent of liturgical renewal and as the author of sermon aids Stählin continues to influence a large number of German theologians to the present day.

Family

Stählin was the son of a Christian preacher and missionary.

Stählin was married twice; first to Emmy Thäter, who died in 1945, and then to Liselotte Künne. He and Emmy had several children.

Publications His publications include; "Lay Work in English Congregations," 1913 "The New Lifestyle," 1919 "Fever and Healing in the Youth Movement," 1922 "Fate and Meaning of German Youth," 1926