This article examines the emergence and development of academic approaches to religious studies in Germany during the early period of its formation, from the early 19th to the early 20th centuries. The study explores the significant methodological shifts that occurred, including the transition from confessional and theological approaches to historical-critical and comparative methods. Key figures such as Friedrich Schleiermacher, David Strauss, Julius Wellhausen, Max Müller, Adolf von Harnack, and Ernst Troeltsch are highlighted for their contributions to the field. The institutionalization and professionalization of religious studies in German universities, influenced by broader intellectual movements such as positivism, historicism, and the rise of the social sciences, are also discussed. This analysis underscores the importance of historical context, interdisciplinary perspectives, and the scientific study of religion, which collectively laid the foundation for religious studies as an independent academic discipline.