Abstract

Some scholars have speculated whether the conservative New Testament Calvinistic scholar, Machen and the New Testament critical scholar, Bultmann attended Marburg University at the same time. We now know that they did. They even attended two courses together which were taught respectively by Weiss and Jülicher. Although these men were strong opposites with respect to the environment in which they were raised as well as their theological presuppositions and conclusions, they both enjoyed the engaging environment of Marburg as students. Mainly using personal letters, we learn that a comparison of these two young students goes further than their theological and biblical interests. Both had encyclopedic academic interests which carried over into a fascinating interdisciplinary way of life.