The quiet in the country

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The friends of Gerhard Tersteegen (1697–1769) called themselves the quiet in the country , who wanted to lead a life "in quiet seclusion, adoration, meditation and immersion" according to their example. The doctor and writer Johann Heinrich Jung , also known as Jung-Stilling, was one of the quiet in the country .

Origin of the designation

( Psalm 35  LUT ) speaks of the "quiet in the land" . David here complains to God about his adversaries who "hate him for no reason" (v. 19). These adversaries “do not talk about what is for peace. They invent false accusations against the quiet of the land ”(verse 20). Tersteegen's friends identified themselves with these silent ones, as they were exposed to similar accusations from rationalist philosophy and theology. Their protest was directed against this, in which they took up the thoughts that Tersteegen had formulated in his writing against the philosopher of Sans-Souci . Frederick the Great , to whom this book was addressed, is said to have exclaimed after reading it: "Can the quiet in the country do that?"

Organization, life and effect of the quiet in the country

Tersteegen's Circle of Friends did not have a structured form of organization. They met in the Lower Rhine , in Wuppertal , in Württemberg and in Siegerland in small house groups and conventicles. The quiet in the country formed a network linked by people, to which Jung-Stilling also belonged. With the addition of Stilling , which he personally chose , he wanted to document his affiliation to this network of awakened Christians.

In addition to the Bible , the quiet people in the country primarily read Tersteegen's extensive literature. These included u. a. the Spiritual Flower Garden , the Spiritual Crumbs , the Path of Truth and the Pious Lottery . The songs of Gerhard Tersteegen, which were influenced by quietistic mysticism , also played a major role among the quiet in the country.

Despite their rather inward piety, the silent ones in the country in the German-speaking area built a bridge between Pietism and the revival movements of the 19th century.

swell

  1. ↑ Erich Geldbach: Die Stillen im Lande , p. 488

literature

  • Otto Weber, Erich Beyreuther (Ed.): The voices of the silent ; 1959
  • Erich Geldbach : Article Die Stillen im Lande , in: Helmut Burkhardt, Erich Geldbach, Kurt Heimbucher (eds.): Community dictionary ; Wuppertal 1986, p. 488; ISBN 3-417-24082-4
  • Horst Weigelt: Lavater and the quiet in the country - distance and closeness. Lavater's relations with religious movements in the 18th century ; Works on the history of Pietism 25; 1988; ISBN 3-525-55809-0
  • Gustav Freytag : Pictures from the German past - Chapter 44: The quiet in the country online: projekt gutenberg