BESTMANN, best”mūn', HUGO JOHANNES: German Lutheran; b. at Delve, Holstein, Feb. 21, 1854. He studied in Leipsic, Tübingen, Kiel, Berlin, and Erlangen (lic. theol., 1877), and was privat-docent in theology at Erlangen 1877-83. He was then instructor in the gymnasium of the orphan asylum at Halle 1883-84 and at the Missionary Seminary in Leipsic 1884-86. Since the latter year he has been pastor in Mölln (Lauenburg). He has been a member of the committee of the Mölln conference for theological studies since 1896, and has written Qua ratione Augustinus notiones philosophiæ græcæ ad dogmata anthropologica describenda adhibuerit (Erlangen, 1877); Geschichte der christlichen Sitte (2 vols., Nördlingen, 1880-85); Die theologische Wissenschaft und die Ritschl'sche Schule (1881); Die Anfänge des katholischen Christentums und des Islams (1884); Der Protestantismus und die theologischen Fakultäten (Kiel, 1891); and Geschichte des Reichs Gottes im Alten und Neuen Bunde (2 vols., Leipsic, 1896-1900). He edited also J. C. K. von Hofmann’s Theologische Encyclopädie (Nördlingen, 1879) and Der christliche Herold (Hamburg and Mölln, 1898-1899).