Lived 1842 - 1919
Christoph Blumhardt was a German Lutheran theologian and one of the founders of Christian Socialism in Germany and Switzerland. He was a well-known preacher. In 1899 he announced his support for socialism and joined the Social Democratic Party of Germany; for this, he lost his position as minister. The next year, he was elected to the state parliament of Württemberg.
As the First World War broke out, he declared his belief in a coming Kingdom of God, declaring “we live in the time before a massive change in the world. This darkness will be vanquished through the Lord Jesus Christ.”
He was a significant influence on the theologians Karl Barth, Hermann Kutter and Leonhard Ragaz, who were also Christian socialists.