Table Of ContentA 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
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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
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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
