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A PROPHET OF INTERIOR LUTHERANISM: THE CORRESPONDENCE OF JOHANN ARNDT Daniel Ross van Voorhis A Thesis Submitted for the Degree of PhD at the University of St. Andrews 2008 Full metadata for this item is available in Research@StAndrews:FullText at: http://research-repository.st-andrews.ac.uk/ Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/10023/517 This item is protected by original copyright This item is licensed under a Creative Commons License AProphetof InteriorLutheranism: theCorrespondenceof Johann Arndt Daniel Ross vanVoorhis AThesis submittedtotheUniversityofSt.Andrews forthedegreeof DOCTOR OFPHILOSOPHY Submitted15July2007 Abstract Foroverfourhundred years historians andtheologians havebeenunabletocometoa consensus as towhereJohannArndt (1555-1621) fits onthespectrum oforthodoxyin the Lutheran church,what agehebest represented, andhowheshouldbeunderstood. Arndt has been credited with revivingmedieval mysticism,as beingasubversive innovatorwithinthe Lutheranchurch, andas beingthefatherofPietism. All ofthis confusionseems tocome from thevariegatednatureofhis work. Arndt was willing andabletoborrowfrom avarietyoftraditions as hesought torevivethechurchofthe ReformationontheeveoftheThirtyYears’War. This workis aninvestigationinto theprivateworld of Arndt throughhis correspondenceas he wrotetoindividuals with varyingtheological temperaments. In asensethis thesis follows thepioneeringwork ofFriedrichArndt,who attempted in1838toinvestigateArndt’s self-understanding onthebasis ofhis correspondence; his work,however,was severelylimitedbythe fact that onlytenletters wereknownat thetime. TheVerzeichnis der gedruckten Briefedeutscher Autoren des 17.Jahrhunderts publishedin2002listedtwenty-three knownletters ofArndt. Formyresearchand usingthefootnotes andappendices of secondaryliteratureon Arndt and withhelpfrom theForschungsbibliothekinGotha, I havecollected fifty-twoletters writtenbyArndt. This workis thefirst to treat the letters exhaustivelyandproposes topresent afullerbiographical pictureof Arndt and toexplorehis self-understandingas aprophet ofspiritual renewal inthe Lutheran church. I, Daniel van Voorhis,herebycertifythat this thesis, whichis approximately66,000 words inlengthhas been writtenbyme,that it is therecordofworkcarried out byme andthat it has not beensubmittedinanyprevious applicationforahigherdegree. Date: ________________ Signatureofcandidate:___________________ Iwas admittedas a researchstudent inSeptember, 2002andas a candidate forthe degreeofDoctor ofPhilosophyinSeptember,2003; thehigherstudywhich this is a record was carriedout in theUniversityofSt.Andrews between2002and2007. Date: ________________ Signatureofcandidate:____________________ Iherebycertifythat thecandidatehas fulfilledthe conditions oftheResolutionand Regulations appropriateforthedegreeofDoctorofPhilosophyinthe Universityof St.Andrews andthat the candidateis qualifiedtosubmit this thesisinapplicationfor that degree. Date:_________________ Signatureofsupervisor: ____________________ Insubmittingthis thesis totheUniversityofSt.Andrews Iunderstandthat Iam givingpermissionforit tobemadeavailableforuseinaccordancewiththe regulations oftheUniversityLibraryforthetime beinginforce,subject toany copyright vestedintheworknot beingaffectedthereby. Ialso understand that the titleandabstract will be published,andthat acopyofthe workmaybemadeand suppliedtoanybona fide libraryorresearchworker,that mythesis will be electronicallyaccessible forpersonal orresearchuse,andthat thelibraryhas theright tomigratemythesis intonewelectronicforms as requiredtoensurecontinuedaccess tomythesis. 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Date: ________________ Signatureofcandidate:______________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS………………………………………………………i INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………….....1 JOHANNARNDT INTHEJUDGEMENTOF LATER COMMENTATORS CHAPTER 1: JOHANN ARNDT: HERO OR HERETIC?.....................24 A LIFE OFJOHANNARNDT ARNDT’S TRUECHRISTIANITY CHAPTER 2: JOHANN ARNDT AS A CONFESSIONAL LUTHERAN……………………………………………………………56 POLITICALTURMOILIN THEEMPIRE(1546-1618) THEOLOGICALTENSION(1546-1577) THEBOOKOFCONCORDANDADEFINITIONOF LUTHERAN ORTHODOXY ARNDT’S CONFESSIONALCORRESPONDENCE CHAPTER 3: THE ECLECTIC ARNDT……………………………..105 ARNDTDEFINES ‘THESPIRITUALAUTHOR’ THETHEOLOGIADEUTSCH THESPIRITUALITYOFJOHANNARNDT THE LEGACYOFARNDT’S SPIRITUALITY INTHE17THCENTURY CHAPTER 4: THE PROPHETIC VOICE…………………………….135 THEEARLYMODERN PROPHET CONFESSIONALPROPHETS DISSENTINGPROPHETS ARNDT’S PROPHETIC CORRESPONDENCE CONCLUSION………………………………………………………..175 APPENDIX A…………………………………………………………181 LISTOFCORRESPONDENCE APPENDIX B…………………………………………………………185 TIMELINEANDPRINTEDWORKS APPENDIX C………………………………………………...……….187 SELECTED LETTERS TRANSCRIBED BIBLIOGRAPHY……………………………………………………..205 ABBREVIATIONS AC TheodoreTappert (ed.), “TheAugsburgConfession”in TheBookof Concord (Philadelphia,1959),pp.23-97. ADB DieHistorischeCommissionbei derKöniglichen AkademiederWissenschaften(eds),AllgemeineDeutsche Biographie(Berlin,1967-1971). CWE CollectedWorks ofErasmus (Toronto,1976-) FC TheodoreTappert (ed.), “TheEpitometotheFormulaofConcord”in TheBookof Concord (Philadelphia,1959),pp.463-501. Fr. Arndt FriedrichArndt, Johann Arndt-einbiographischer Versuch (Berlin, 1838). LW Martin Luther, Luther's Works,ed. J.PelikanandH.T. Lehmann. (Pennsylvania,1955 -1986). NDB DieHistorischeCommissionbei derKöniglichen AkademiederWissenschaften(eds),Neue DeutscheBiographie (Berlin,1953-). Rambach JohannArndt, JohannArnds Geistreicher Schriftenund Werke,vol. III ed.JohannJacobRambach (Leipzig, 1736). Raidel Georgius Martinus Raidelius, EpistolaeVirorumEruditorumAd JohannemGerhardum(Norimbergae,1740). WB MelchiorBreller, Warhafftiger, glaubwurdiger undgründlicher Bericht vonden vier Büchern vom WahrenChristenthumbHerrn Johannis Arndtenauss dengefundenbrieflichen Urkundenzusammen getragen (Lueneburg,1625). WC JohannArndt, Sechs Bücher vomwahren Christentum(Bielefeld, 1996) Introduction On15May1621JohannArndt was buried at the PfarrkircheinCelle. He had beenanordained Lutheranpastorforthirty-nine years and was sixty-six years old. Fifty-twoofthose years wereunremarkable; inthelast fourteen years ofhis life, however,hehadlaidthe groundworkforbecomingthemost significant devotional authoroftheseventeenth century.Copies ofhis Vier Bücher von WahrenChristentum (TrueChristianity)were ubiquitous inthefollowingcenturies, whetherinthehomes ofpious Christians orintheUniversities. Forthenext threehundredandfiftyyears his imageandhis famous bookwere critiqued,extolled,and,at times, forgotten. ControversysurroundingArndt didnot diewithhim in1621,as books were beingwritten about True Christianityat afurious pace. Hewas regardedas eitherthe most significant Reformersince Luther,oranuneducatedanddangerous element withinthe Lutheranchurch. Basedonthesudden dropoffofworks regardingArndt inthe1630s it appearedthat his place,andhis role inthechurchwouldremain unresolved. Whiletheoccasional biographyoranalysis ofhis work appearedinthe ensuingcenturies, therehas beeninthelast thirtyyears a resurgencein Arndt research.At the1988 Symposiondes Vereins für Reformationsgeschichte asession was heldinwhichtwopapers werepresentedconcerningtheplaceofArndt inthe Lutheranchurch. Thelackofanyconsensus about Arndt’s placeinpost-Reformation Lutheranism was evident intheopposingviews of theReformerofferedbyHans SchneiderandWolfgangSommer,towhichwewill return.This dissertationexplores thecomplexityofJohann Arndt as achurchman andwriterthroughan examinationof his correspondence.The workis baseduponfifty-twosurvivingletters, whichhave beenbrought togetherhereforthe first time. Researchinvarious German libraries has enabledmetolocate letters that werelargelyunusedbyprevious scholars. 1 Althoughthis collection ofArndt’s letters pales incomparison toothersixteenth centurycontemporaries suchas Melanchthon,CalvinandBullinger,it provides access tohis voiceandaviewofhis characterpreviouslyunknown. What emerges most stronglyis Arndt’s profoundandunshakenbelief that hewas aprophet ofthechurch tohis age. Repeatedlyhetoldhis correspondents that the Lutheran church desperatelyrequiredarenewedspiritualityifit was tofacewhat hebelievedtobea distinct crisis ofpiety. Arndt however, was anythingbut onedimensional, andwhat theletters reveal is that hecouldspeakindifferent tones. Tohis various correspondents withwhom hecommunicatedhe revealeddifferent aspects ofhimself andhis thought. It is important torecognizethat Arndt was not asystematicthinker; although hestudiedtheology, as well as medicine,hewas primarilyapastorwholookedto writingas ameans ofspreadinghis messageof ‘true’Christianity. Hecouldbevery loosewithhis language, andhehadlittleregardforwhat hereferredto as ‘scholasticism’or‘disputational theology’, which meant the Lutherantheologyofthe Universities. Muchofwhat has been writtenand thought about JohannArndt has beenbasedon his famous TrueChristianity(1606-1610). Whilethis bookwas rightly seenas Arndt’s masterpiece, as weshall see,theargument ofthis thesis is that it only offers apartial viewoftheman. Theletters enableus toseehim as helived,a preacher andwriter who was frequentlyinvolvedinconflict andforcedtorespond to controversy,inshort JohannArndt needs tobestudiedincontext. ThecorrespondenceofJohannArndt,this thesis argues, reveals thediversity ofhis character andactivities. But toappreciateits full historical importancewemust considerbrieflythenatureandcharacterofletter writinginsixteenth-centuryEurope. Ininterpretingsurvivingcorrespondence,thehistorianmust becareful toavoidthe 2 pitfalls ofnaivetéand extremescepticism. Certainly,it cannot be assumedthat the informal (orformal)letteracts as akeythat unlocks the‘true’individual. It does not standinoppositiontothecarefullyconstructed authorofaprintedtreatiseortext. That is afalsedistinction. Theletteris atext that must bereadinlight ofits context, therelationshipbetween theauthorandthe recipient,andits content. Susan Fitzmauricehas identifiedhowcertaintypes ofletters wereregarded as revealingof humancharacter,aview illustratedintheremark byThomas Sprat that “in(familiar) letters thesouls ofmenshouldappearundressed.”1 AmandaGilroyandW.M. Verhoeven,however,haverecentlysuggestedthat this ideais “themost historically powerful fictionoftheletter(that is tosuggest that theletteris)thetropeof authenticityandintimacy.”2 This discussionabout theextent towhichanearly-modernperson reveals himselfincorrespondencelies at theheart ofthis thesis. Myapproachhas been shapedbytestingArndt’s letters against theevents andcircumstances ofhis life, as well as byexaminingthem inlight ofhis otherwritings. Inapplyingsuch critical analysis, Ihave remained cautious not tocreatean interpretive gridbywhichthe individual letters themselves aresubjectedtouniform treatment. Iapproachedeach letterindividually,andin this IhavebeeninfluencedbyFitzmaurice’s guideto understandingtheEarlyModernletterinwhichshehas suggested an‘inferential reading’: 1 Thomas Sprat, AnAccount of LifeandWritings of Mr. AbrahamCowley.Writtento Mr. M.Clifford inthe Works of AbrahamCowley.Consistingofthosewhichwere formerlyprinted:andthosewhichhedesignedfor thePress (London,1968) quotedin SusanM. Fitzmaurice, TheFamiliar Letter inEarlyModern English,(Philadelphia, 2002),p.16. 2 AmandaGilroyandW.M. Verhoeven,“Introduction”inAmandaGilroyandW.M. Verhoeven(eds.), EpistolaryHistories (Charlottesville,2000),p.1. 3