Neo-Lutheranism

The Neuluthertum was a theological movement of the 19th century within the Lutheran Protestantism.

Overview

The Neuluthertum rooted in the revival movement and saw his role in " the scientific representation of the Church's Confession " ( Gottfried Thomasius ). Sticking to Scripture and the Confessions was the main feature of the Neuluthertums. This led to sharp demarcation from the rational demand of theological rationalism but also against the Union of Lutherans the Calvinists (Claus Harms ), whereby the Neuluthertum of the revival difference.

Development

The beginnings of the new Lutheran confessionalism 'are usually seen in Franz Volkmar Reinhard Reformation sermon on New Year's Day in 1800, the first remained fairly ineffective, however, and in Claus Harms theses on the anniversary of the Reformation in 1817. Even the latter sat down sharply apart with the Union. Other representatives were August Hahn and Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg, whose approach is to count the Repristination.

Similarly, in the revival of neulutherischen Antiunionismus demarcated, it came to a break with many Altlutheranern, such as Johann Gottfried Scheibel. Was represented for the first time in all theological differentiation, the Neuluthertum in the Erlanger school. Your co-founder Adolf Harless and Konrad Hofmann worked on Leipzig. In Neuendettelsau was found in Wilhelm Lohe an important supporter of the new Lutheranism.

In Saxony the Neuluthertum by Andreas Gottlob Rudelbach, who was influenced by Grundtvig, was in Mecklenburg Theodor Kliefoth, in Hesse from August Vilmar and in Berlin, equipped with conservative traits of the brothers Leopold, Ernst Ludwig and Otto von Gerlach and Friedrich Julius Stahl represented. In Hannover were found Ludwig Harms, münchmeyer and Petri other supporters of Neuluthertums. The spread in the German -speaking Baltic succeeded by Theodosius Harnack and Ernst last Sartorius and Friedrich Adolf Philippi. In Denmark, especially in Lund Sweden, the Neuluthertum found with strong accentuation of the Hegelian organism - thought and spiritual proximity to the steel group at low tide Gustaf Bring, Wilhelm Anton Niklas Sundberg and Flensburg.

Theology

With respect to the bible the revelation in Neuluthertum no longer ( be signed ) as a theory but as a living work of God is seen. The word is the carrier of Christ ( Thomasius, Vilmar ). "(" In Christianity, the word became flesh: it is a " two-natures doctrine of the Word " ( Th.Heckel about Harless ) builds on to that can meet between his human and his divine nature, the relationship between word and Christ courtier ).

Accordingly, a strong emphasis on the church ( in extensu in Löhe However, in rejection of the organism - thought ) is. The ( progressive ) developing an understanding of revelation manifests itself ( in a clear adaptation of Hegel ) then in the confessional education. The confession may here and there the rank of Scripture achieve (perhaps at Löhe ). It is partly covered by the on the Augsburg Confession limited ( Vilmar ), partially understood the whole Book of Concord comprising ( Thomasius ).

The reception of the church fathers (especially the first five centuries ) important again, in which the reflexive " catholicity " is secured to the Church (especially in Löhe, Vilmar, Delitzsch, and also the Catholic Johann Adam Mohler and John Henry Newman). From this tradition secured wants to then proceed and pursue the development ( evident in Löhe, even at Kliefoth, Vilmar, Thomasius and others). Similarly, the eschatology is considered a unfinished ( Kliefoth, Luthardt ).

In practical consequence was wrestled to the lively understanding of ministry and church. After the Revolution (1848 ) then focused on the constitutional question of the church at the center: either the church as a gathering of the faithful to look congregatio sanctorum (especially courtier, all Erlanger and Leipzig ) or she is an " institution " ( steel ), means ( Kliefoth, steel, Vilmar, Löhe ). In addition, the question arose after the accentuation of the invisible church ( courtier, etc.) or the visible church (especially steel). ( In Löhe seems the invisible subset of the to be visible ). The Office was more or less seen near the general priesthood, but partially understood as a community purposes ( so Löhe against Harless ). In the background moved predestination, justification and the question of law and gospel.

The revivalist tendencies were visible in the accentuation of rebirth in which the individual is the objective content of the word reconstructs subjective. The act by which the rebirth is possible, hereafter faith. The new birth is the " continued expectant Incarnation of God" ( Kliefoth, Thomasius ). The Neuluthertum would then theology of experience and the experience would be in the objective revelation that expressed itself in the subjective act of faith, through it would be visible.

Were recorded in this manner as well as romantic idealist content. Thus, the concept of the organism and its conception of the development of philosophy Georg WF was Hegel and Friedrich Schelling borrowed.

However, the course of the Neuluthertums is then quite heterogeneous. It can be used for restoration of Orthodox biblical theology (" biblicism " ) ( as in Friedrich Adolf Philippi and Carl FW Walther ) or Repristination come ( Hengstenberg ).