He was born at Stappenbeck near Salzwedel in Prussian Saxony. He studied at Humboldt University in Berlin and at the University of Halle, and in 1890 became professor ordinarius of theology at Jena. He belonged to the Tübingen school. "Fond of emphasizing his independence of Baur, he still, in all important points, followed in the footsteps of his master; his method, which he is wont to contrast as Literarkritik with Baur's Tendenzkritik, is nevertheless essentially the same as Baur's (Otto Pfleiderer). On the whole, however, he modified the positions of the founder of the Tübingen school, going beyond him only in his investigations into the Fourth Gospel. In 1858 he became editor of the Zeitschrift für wissensdiaftliche Theologie. He died on the 12th of January 1907.
His works include: