Previously based at Harvard University, Jonathan Teubner is now working at the Faculty of Theology at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin in the team of Professor Judith Becker on the question of how the German scholar Adolf von Harnack (1851-1930) shaped the study of early Christianity in the United States and Great Britain during the twentieth century, and what significance this legacy holds for the field today. The project focuses on how his ideas were received, developed further, or rejected at key institutions. It also takes into account the continuing criticism of Harnack's interpretations, in particular his thesis of a "Hellenisation" of Christianity and his sharp separation between Christianity and Judaism.
The aim is to provide a comprehensive account of his reception in the English-speaking world while also developing new perspectives for the study of early Christianity.