History of the Bremen-Verdean catechism
The history of Bremish Verdean Catechism deals with the introduction and changes in the territory Bremen-Verden between the mid-17th century and mid-19th century applicable Catechism . The catechism, a handbook for instruction in questions of faith, served the various sovereigns after the Reformation to standardize the denomination of their subjects and thus for social discipline (see denominational formation ).
Sötefleisch's Catechism (1651)
The catechism of short simple-minded questions and answers from the catechism of D. Luther by the Göttingen superintendent Johann Sötefleisch , supplemented by Joachim Lütkemann's table “healing rules of Christian life” , has been in use for schools since the duchies of Bremen-Verden were founded . The catechism came to the province through field ministers.
Havemann's Catechism (1658)
In 1657, the general superintendent of Bremen-Verden , Michael Havemann , published his book Basic Questions for the Most Noble Articles of Faith, According to the Order of the Catechism, for the Edification of the Simple and Instruction of the Adult Youth , which was introduced in March 1658 in the schools of the duchies. But the Stade Consistorial Councilor Jakob Hackmann managed in a public, sharp dispute that this book was again superseded by Sötefleisch's catechism. The reason for the rejection was probably Havemann's inclination towards the theology of the heart.
Gesenius' Catechism (1723)
When, on November 19, 1723, General Superintendent Lucas Bacmeister ordered the introduction of the catechism drawn up by Consistorial Councilor Justus Gesenius , the provincial estates, with the participation of the anti-pietist clergy, protested against it, as they refused to write it in the spirit of Philipp Jakob Spener . On May 16, 1724 the regulation was withdrawn. The Sötefleisch catechism remained valid.
Hanover State Catechism (1792)
On September 6, 1792, the Hanoverian state catechism ( catechism of Christian doctrine, for use in the Protestant churches and schools of the royal Braunschweig-Lüneburg Kurlande , Hanover 1790) was introduced. The estates agreed to the introduction as his leniency was in keeping with the theological zeitgeist, while Luther's catechism was viewed as too orthodox and out of date. As a reflection of this, some deficiencies were soon felt. The new catechism is "not decided enough in some of the main Christian doctrines, and not at all as short, round and dry as Hamann" - Johann Georg Hamann is meant - "rightly demands of a good catechism", judged General Superintendent Friedrich in 1852 Köster in his history of the Bremen-Verdean consistory. The catechism, written in the rationalistic spirit, did not meet the requirements of strict theologians or those of the laity.
Lührs' Catechism (1862)
Therefore, from 1856 to 1861, a commission chaired by the Consistorial Councilor Eduard Niemann worked out a new catechism based on the Cellic model (author: Michael Walther ). The main author was the superintendent Albert Lührs from Peine. On April 14, 1862, the confirmation day of Crown Prince Ernst August , King George V had this new catechism introduced. But the overwhelming majority of the pastors and the Protestant population thought rationalistically and ran a storm against the new catechism ( Hanover Catechism Controversy ). “The king wants to reintroduce ear confession. We should become Catholic again, ”were the common slogans that caught on with quite a few laypeople, who anyway only knew rationalistic sermons. The tumult was so great that Niemann had to be protected by the military; his house was demolished. The king was forced to withdraw his ordinance on August 19, 1862 by means of a cabinet order and now leave it to the parishes to use the new catechism or to stick to the one from 1792. The uninvolved but largely unpopular Interior Minister Wilhelm von Borries was dismissed as a pawn sacrifice . But there was no pacification, rather the dispute was carried even more into the communities. The fight against the introduction of the new catechism lasted until the 1870s and into the Prussian state parliament - Hanover had become a Prussian province in 1866. The local writer Heinrich Behnken made the comedy Dat Düvelsbook out of it in 1939 , which the Landschaftsverband Stade had performed in September 2000.
literature
- Johann Hinrich Pratje : Brem and Verdic catechism history. Erbrich, Stade 1762 ( digitized version of the State and University Library Bremen ).
- Friedrich Köster : History of the royal consistory of the duchies of Bremen and Verden. Pockwitz, Stade 1852 ( digitized from Google Books ).
- Theodor Diestelmann: The catechism matter in the Evangelical Lutheran regional church of Hanover, its preliminary decision and the way to its final settlement. Schulze, Celle 1862 ( digitized version of the 3rd edition of Google books ).
- Johann Michael Reu : Sources on the history of church teaching in the Protestant Church in Germany between 1530 and 1600. Vol. 1.3: Sources on the history of catechism teaching. East, North and West German catechisms. 1. Department: Historical-bibliographical introduction. Georg Olms, Hildesheim, New York 1976 (reprint of the Gütersloh 1935 edition), ISBN 3-487-06128-7 , chapter “Bremen-Verdensche Catechisms”, pp. 792–815, with bibliography on p. 792 .
- Hans-Walter Krumwiede : Church history of Lower Saxony. Vol. 1: From the Sachsenmission to the end of the empire in 1806. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen 1995, ISBN 3-525-55431-1 ( preview of Google books ).