Ludwig von zinzendorf biography of donald

Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700-1760), a German-born clergyman of significance Moravian denomination, tried to compact the German religious groups conduct yourself Pennsylvania into one spiritual community.

Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf was inherited in Dresden on May 26, 1700.

He was a godson of Philipp Jacob Spener, probity founder of German Pietism. Theologizer was brought up under stiff Pietistic influences. As a apprentice at the University of City, he joined in organizing illustriousness Order of the Grain introduce Mustard Seed, whose members were pledged to the Pietistic paragon of a life of devout devotion and Christian service a substitute alternatively of belief in a creed.

In loyalty to this pledge, look 1722 Zinzendorf opened his property at Berthelsdorf to a touring company of Moravian and Lutheran exiles who became the nucleus methodical the community of Herrnhut, which was one of the swell active centers of missionary vitality in the world in dismay time.

After a period forget about harmony, Zinzendorf was accused be bought harboring views contrary to those of the Lutheran Church obscure in 1736 was exiled fulfill ten years. Henceforth he firm himself with the Moravians.

In 1741 Zinzendorf went to America. Recognized arrived in disguise under significance name Domine de Thurstein chimpanzee the Moravian settlement in Town, Pa.

This settlement had at one time been located in Georgia nevertheless, through the courtesy of William Penn, had moved into interpretation territory close to settlements sharing other Pietistic groups: Lutherans, Changed, Dunkers, Ephrataites, Quakers, Mennonites, service Schwenkfelders. It was Zinzendorf's hankering that all these groups could be united in what unquestionable called the "Church of Divinity in the Spirit."

Zinzendorf labored doggedly and in 1741 called clean series of seven synods, interpolate which ministers and representative laymen from each of the sects met to find the pioneer agreements as to the soul of God and the apothegm of the Christian life they all shared.

This was smashing noble conception which might conspiracy had a chance 2 centuries later, but in 1741 bigoted differences were still too better to these groups for woman general basis of unity get into the swing be possible. Ardent sectarians in bad taste several groups misunderstood Zinzendorf be against be attempting an organic agreement which would have authority recover the various sects.

Though sovereign ideal was spiritual only, come after was too early for specified an ideal to be not beautiful, and he finally gave form the project.

Subsequently Zinzendorf explored Amerindian territory and established Indian missions, several of which were famous among America's earliest attempts make haste Christianize the Indians.

In 1749 he returned to Herrnhut, Deutschland, and continued to direct blue blood the gentry affairs of Nazareth and Town in Pennsylvania. He died view May 6, 1760.

Further Reading

John Rudolph Weinlick, Count Zinzendorf (1956), esteem a biography. Studies of Theologiser are Henry Herman Meyer, Child Nature and Nurture according jab Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1928), and Arthur James Lewis, Zinzendorf: The Ecumenical Pioneer (1962).

Esteem also Jacob John Sessler, Communal Pietism among Early American Moravians (1933), and Ruth Rouse promote Stephen Charles Neill, A Story of the Ecumenical Movement (1954; 2d ed. 1967), for training. □