CACrown ArchivesThe cinema collection
Menu
Research dossier · General Reference

Joachim Gnilka

German Catholic theologian and biblical scholar (1928–2018)

Cross-disciplinary reference desk with index cards, atlas, dictionary and catalogue
General referenceInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionMay 5, 2026
Entity authorityQ104516 ↗
Source-derived summary

Joachim Gnilka (8 December 1928 in Leobschütz/Silesia – 15 January 2018 in Munich) was a German Roman Catholic theologian, New Testament scholar, exegete, and professor.

Biography

Gnilka studied Catholic theology, Christian philosophy, and Oriental languages in Eichstätt, Würzburg, and Rome from 1947 to 1953.

From 1953 to 1956 he served as chaplain in Würzburg. In 1955, Gnilka earned a Doctorate of Theology (Th.D.). In 1959, he earned a habilitation, and from 1959 to 1962 was Privatdozent (associate professor, senior lecturer) at the University of Würzburg. From 1962 to 1975, he was professor of New Testament at the University of Münster. From 1975 to 1997, he was professor at LMU Munich. From 1973 to 1988, Gnilka was a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, and from 1986 to 1997 a member of the International Theological Commission.

His commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, Das Mattheusevangelium, was extensively quoted by Pope Benedict XVI in his 2007 book Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration.

Bibliography

Gnilka, Joachim (1971).

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Joachim Gnilka” as german Catholic theologian and biblical scholar (1928–2018). This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Joachim, Gnilka and German.

Editorial reviewA dependable orientation record for establishing vocabulary, names and a first evidence trail. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1928, 2018, 1947, 1953—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1928-12-08. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Joachim, Gnilka and German providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Joachim Gnilka”, the useful work is to connect “german Catholic theologian and biblical scholar (1928–2018)” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The citation trail is more important than the brevity of the summary: it shows where individual claims can be examined in context. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 5, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q104516. VIAF identifies the subject as 108569827. The Library of Congress control number is n85292236. 3 of 3 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1928, 2018, 1947 and 1953.

Critical limits

A concise general-reference account can conceal disagreements about scope, terminology or the weight assigned to individual sources. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Use the entry as an orientation point, then follow its citations and revision history. Names, dates and institutional relationships should be checked against the original record.

Best used for
  • Subject orientation
  • Search vocabulary
  • Locating named sources
Verify next

The closest primary source, responsible institution and strongest cited specialist reference.

Three-step research path

  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Joachim Gnilka”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Joachim Gnilka primary sources, Joachim Gnilka archive and Joachim research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

  1. Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Joachim Gnilka”?
  2. Which institution is responsible for the underlying evidence?
  3. What terminology or title could unlock a more precise catalogue search?
Subject index

Search terms from this dossier

Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Joachim Gnilka” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.