Jesus Christus, die Erlösung der europäischen Seele.

Abstract

Egon Friedell (1878–1938) is widely regarded as one of Austria’s most significant writers and essayists of the early 20^th century and most renowned for the three-volume Culture History of the Modern Age. However, the religious dimensions of his oeuvre have received only limited scholarly attention to date. This paper explores Friedell’s unique relationship to Christianity. A highly talented individual, Friedell was a polyhistor, an autodidact and, above all, a strong believer. He conceptualised himself as a religious amateur, yet asserted that he possessed superior access to the transcendent dimensions of the world compared to professionals with formal theological education. Fascinated by the figure of Jesus of Nazareth whom he saw as the absolute centre of human history, Friedell was convinced that only genius and intuition could unlock the essence of the Gospel. A great talent for poetry, a fresh spirit of religious amateurishness and a deeply rooted personal faith form a unique synthesis in early 20^th century thought.