Editing Ferdinand Christian Baur (section)

==Early works==
When, a few years after his appointment at Blaubeuren, he published his first important work, ''Symbolik und Mythologie oder die Naturreligion des Altertums'' ("Symbol and mythology: the natural religion of Antiquity", 1824–1825), it became evident that he had made a deeper study of [[philosophy]], and had come under the influence of Schelling and more particularly of [[Friedrich Daniel Ernst Schleiermacher|Friedrich Schleiermacher]]. The learning of the work was fully recognized, and in 1826 the author was called to Tübingen as professor of theology. It is with Tübingen that his greatest literary achievements are associated. His earlier publications here treated of [[mythology]] and the history of [[dogma]]. ''Das manichäische Religionssystem'' ("The [[Manichaeism|Manichaean]] religious system") appeared in 1831, ''[[Apollonius of Tyana|Apollonius von Tyana]]'' in 1832, ''Die christliche Gnosis'' ("Christian [[Gnosis]]") in 1835, and ''Über das Christliche im Platonismus oder Socrates und Christus'' ("On Christianity in Platonism: Socrates and Christ") in 1837. As [[Otto Pfleiderer]] (Pflederer 1890 p.&nbsp;285) observes, "the choice not less than the treatment of these subjects is indicative of the large breadth of view and the insight of the historian into the [[Comparative religion|comparative history of religion]]."{{sfn|Canney|1911|p=540}}