Cornelis Petrus Tiele

Cornelis Petrus Tiele (born Dec. 16, 1830, Leiden, Neth.—died Jan. 11, 1902, Leiden) was a Dutch theologian and scholar, whose influence on the comparative study of religion, which in his time was only beginning, was very great.

Educated at Amsterdam High School and at the seminary of the Remonstrant Brotherhood, Tiele served as pastor at Moordrecht and Rotterdam, then as professor at the Remonstrant Seminary. In 1877 he was appointed at the University of Leiden as professor of the history of religions, a chair that was especially created for him and that he occupied for 24 years. Among the best known of Tiele’s numerous works are Geschiedenis van den godsdienst, tot aan de heerschappij der wereldgodsdiensten (1876; Outlines of the History of Religion to the Spread of the Universal Religions) and his Gifford Lectures, published as Inleiding tot de godsdienst wetenschap, 2 vol. (1897–99; Elements of the Science of Religion).