HANS GEORG BECKAND BYZANTINE THEOLOGY. ON THE OCCASION OF THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH

Abstract

The life of Hans Georg Beck may be divided into two parts. Until 1944, he was known by his religious name of Hildebrand as a Benedictine monk and priest and was the product of a thorough theological education. He then abandoned both the priesthood and the Church and began a university career devoted to Byzantine studies, eventually emerging as one of the most outstanding authorities in his fi eld. In spite of this all, theology remained for him a principle focus of his interest and it guided his entire academic work, even when it was really not expected to play a role. Beck obviously did not want to be theologian but he did much to convince others that “Byzantine studies without any knowledge of Byzantine theology and the Church in the Byzantine Empire is quite a hopeless aff air, however hard one may try”

Keywords

• Hans-Georg Beck
• Byzantine studies
• Byzantine theology
• Byzantine theological literature
• history of the Church in Byzantium
• theological studies in the complex of the humanities.