▁criticism ▁is ▁also ▁represented ▁by ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁relig ions ▁school ▁( known ▁in ▁German ▁as ▁the ▁Kult gesch icht liche ▁Schule ▁or ▁altern atively ▁the ▁Relig ions gesch icht liche ▁Schule ). ▁This ▁school , ▁a ▁group ▁of ▁German ▁Protest ant ▁the olog ians ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Gött ingen ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁sought ▁to ▁understand ▁J uda ism ▁and ▁Christian ity ▁within ▁their ▁relationship ▁to ▁other ▁relig ions ▁of ▁the ▁Near ▁East . ▁ ▁The ▁late - n in ete enth ▁century ▁saw ▁the ▁first ▁" quest ▁for ▁the ▁historical ▁Jesus ", ▁which ▁primarily ▁involved ▁writing ▁versions ▁of ▁the ▁" life ▁of ▁Jesus ". ▁ ▁Import ant ▁sch ol ars ▁of ▁this ▁quest ▁included ▁David ▁Stra uss ▁( 1 8 0 8 – 1 8 7 4 ), ▁whose ▁cultural ▁significance ▁lies ▁in ▁his ▁contribution ▁to ▁weak ening ▁the ▁established ▁authorities , ▁and ▁whose ▁the ological ▁significance ▁res ides ▁in ▁his ▁confront ation ▁of ▁the ▁doctrine ▁of ▁Christ ' s ▁div inity ▁with ▁the ▁modern ▁critical ▁study ▁of ▁history . ▁Adolf ▁Von ▁H arn ack ▁( 1 8 5 1 – 1 9 3 0 ) ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁quest ▁for ▁the ▁historical ▁Jesus , ▁writing ▁The ▁Ess ence ▁of ▁Christian ity ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 , ▁where ▁he ▁described ▁Jesus ▁as ▁a ▁reform er . ▁ ▁William ▁W re de ▁( 1 8 5 9 – 1 9 0 6 ) ▁was ▁a ▁for er un ner ▁of ▁re da ction