August Lang (theologian)

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August Lang (born February 26, 1867 in Huppichteroth (today part of the Nümbrecht community , Bergisches Land ); † December 24, 1945 in Halle (Saale) ) was a German Reformed theologian.

Life

Growing up in a peasant family influenced by Bergisch Pietism , influenced and supported by the revival preacher and pastor Jakob Gerhard Engels , Lang studied Protestant theology in Bonn and Berlin from 1886 after attending grammar school in Dillenburg . In 1890 he obtained his theological licentiate in Bonn . Since 1893 3rd cathedral preacher at Hallesches Dom and head of studies at the Reformed Convict , he completed his habilitation in 1900 at the University of Halle . In 1907 he was promoted to 2nd cathedral preacher and in 1921 to 1st cathedral preacher, with which the office of superintendent of the reformed church district of Halle was connected. In 1943 he retired. At the university he was promoted to titular professor in 1909 and full honorary professor in 1918.

Lang was married to Elisabeth Calaminus, the daughter of the Elberfeld pastor Heinrich Calaminus , in his second marriage from 1904 .

meaning

Lang was important both as an academic theologian and as a church politician. As a member of the moderamen of the Reformed League , he campaigned for large-scale celebrations for the 400th birthday of Johannes Calvin in Germany. He had good contacts to Reformed churches in Western Europe and North America, which he was able to maintain even during the First World War. In 1919 he succeeded his father-in-law Heinrich Calaminus as moderator of the Reformed League. Because of his refusal in 1933 to make a clear distinction from the Nazi-friendly German Christians , he was urged to resign from office and in 1934 decided not to run again.

Lang was also active in the early ecumenical movement, particularly in the Faith and Order Movement (as a member of the Continuation Committee since 1920) and in the World Alliance for Church Friendship .

With numerous publications, especially on Calvin, Bucer and the Heidelberg Catechism , Lang contributed to the research of Reformed Protestantism. His thesis that a line leads to Lutheran Pietism via Martin Bucer and Puritanism has been taken up frequently, but is mostly disputed in the present.

Awards

Lang was taught by several universities, including a. Geneva , Debrecen and Sárospatak , awarded honorary doctorates .

Fonts (selection)

  • The conversion of John Calvin. Leipzig 1897 (reprint Scientia, Aalen 1972).
  • Martin Butzer's commentary on the Gospels and the main features of his theology. Leipzig 1900 (reprint Scientia, Aalen 1972).
  • The Heidelberg Catechism and four related catechisms. Deichert, Leipzig 1900 (reprinted Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1967).
  • John Calvin. A picture of his life on his 400th birthday on July 10, 1909. Association for Reformation History, Leipzig 1909.
  • The Heidelberg Catechism. Association for the History of the Reformation, Leipzig 1913.
  • Zwingli and Calvin. Velhagen & Klasing, Bielefeld / Leipzig 1913.
  • Confession and Catechism in the English Church under Heinrich VIII Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1917.
  • Reformation and the present. Collected Essays. Meyer, Detmold 1918.
  • Puritanism and Pietism. Neukirchen 1941 (reprinted Scientific Book Society, Darmstadt 1972).
  • "Lord, show me your way". Memories of life (= Emden contributions to Reformed Protestantism, Vol. 12). Edited by Jürgen Reuter. Foedus, Wuppertal 2010. ISBN 3-938180-21-8 .

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Hans-Georg Ulrichs: The Calvin Jubilee 1909 . In: Reformed Retrospectives. Lectures of the second Emden conference on the history of Reformed Protestantism. Foedus, Wuppertal 2001, pp. 231-265 ( slightly abridged version on the website of the Reformed Federation, accessed on March 29, 2016).
  2. ^ Karl Heinz Voigt : Ecumenism in Germany. From the founding of the ACK to the Charta Oecumenica (1948–2001). Vol. 1: International Influences and Networking - Beginnings 1848–1945. V&R unipress, Göttingen 2014, ISBN 978-3-8471-0417-9 , pp. 130-134, etc.
  3. ↑ See e.g. B. Johannes Wallmann : Pietism Studies. Collected articles II. Mohr, Tübingen 2008, pp. 29f, 39f, 88f.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Long, August
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Protestant theologian
DATE OF BIRTH February 26, 1867
PLACE OF BIRTH Huppichteroth
DATE OF DEATH December 24, 1945
Place of death Halle (Saale)