Johann August Urlsperger

Johann August Urlsperger (also: Urlsberger ; born November 25, 1728 in Augsburg , † December 1, 1806 in Hamburg ) was a German Lutheran theologian with a pietistic orientation.

Life

The son of the pastor and senior at St. Anna's Church , Samuel Urlsperger , had received his first education from his father and was trained by private tutors. Then he attended the Princely School in Neustadt an der Aisch and from 1743 the high school at St. Anna in Augsburg . In 1747 he began studying at the University of Tübingen , where Christoph Matthäus Pfaff and Israel Gottlieb Canz were his teachers. After a brief health condition, he returned to his parents' house in 1750. He continued his studies in 1751 with Siegmund Jakob Baumgarten , Johann Georg Knapp and Christian Benedikt Michaelis at the University of Halle . In 1753 he had acquired the academic degree of a master's degree in philosophy there.

In his final dissertation De mysteriorum christianae fidei vera indole, et adversus recentissimas oppugnatione vindiciis (1754), he attacked Christian Wolff's theses , whereupon he had this work printed in another location and instead just a general treatise on the Christian faith in Halle published, which caused no sensation. In 1755 he completed an educational trip to familiarize himself with the pietistic views in different parts of Germany and Denmark.

After completing his academic career, he was a deacon at the Barfüßerkirche in Augsburg in 1757, a deacon at the Protestant main parish church of St. Anna in 1762 and pastor at the Holy Cross Church in 1770 (during his time the writer and deacon Otto Friedrich Hörner preached here at the Evangelical Holy Cross ) . In 1772 he was promoted to senior in the Augsburg Evangelical Ministry of Preaching. Three years later he received the degree of Doctor of Theology from the University of Tübingen . Serious and persistent illnesses, especially a severe weakness in his chest, which made him unfit for preaching, had compelled him to resign as early as 1776 from the office he had previously held. Since then he has devoted himself almost exclusively with his father to the continuation of an extensive theological and literary correspondence, but especially to the church and school affairs of the Salzburg exiles in America . These matters had been entrusted to his father from England.

As early as 1765, the English Society for the Promotion of the Knowledge of Christ had accepted him as a corresponding member. In 1778 he became a member of the Swedish society "pro fide et christianismo". According to his own statements, all his efforts seemed to concentrate on the idea of defining the essential points of the orthodox doctrinal concept of a truly general church more precisely than hitherto done, expanding it, and securing and guaranteeing it against inadmissible innovations defend. He planned a union of several pious persons from different classes , which should work together theoretically and practically for the benefit of humanity and Christianity. Thus the German society of friends and lovers of Christian truth and godliness (“ Christianity Society ”) was formed, partly through correspondence and partly through long journeys . Through several writings in which he recommended and defended it, Urlsperger sought to expand this society ever further. These writings particularly included the suggestions and encouragements published in 1779 for joint hands on the building of the kingdom of God, according to the needs of the time . In England he was looking for his company to find buyers, which he carried a font 1780 in London under the title An address to all sincere promoter of the Kingdom of God etc appeared.

Urlsperger was also known for several writings with ascetic and dogmatic content. For example, “attempt to determine precisely the mystery of God the Father and Christ” or the discussion given in 1772 of the question of whether it is consistent with biblical teachings to include the designations of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit as part of his essence. His views on the doctrine of the Trinity , which he developed in individual writings between 1774 and 1779, entangled him in several literary feuds . Since 1787 he no longer published. In 1796 he went to Oettingen , where he lived privately for several years. After a few trips he fell ill in Hamburg and died there in the Masonic hospital.

Works

• New development of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, generally in accordance with Scripture. Augsburg 1744;
• Diss. De praestantia Goloniae Georgico - Anglicanae prae aliis Coloniis. Augsburg 1747
• Dissertatio theologica de mysteriorum christianae fidei vera indole eorumque contra recentissimas oppugnationes vindiciis. Hall 1754
• Inaugural address at St. Anna, about Luc. 2, 24-30. Augsburg 1762
• Solenne thanksgiving and peace sermon, on Ps. 147, 14. Augsburg 1763
• Funeral sermon for Anna Elisabeth Gullmann. Augsburg 1763
• Funeral speech on JG Rende. Augsburg 1764
• Impartial truth and peace-seeking thoughts on the errors of the Evangelical Lutheran and the Reformed Church on the points of Holy Communion. Lindau 1765
• Acceptance speeches held in the evangelical poor house in Augsburg. Augsburg 1766–1774
• The parable of the prodigal son in edifying verse, from Pastor Hiller's poetic biography of Jesus Christ, published with annotations for the blessed memory of two days of penance held in Augsburg. Augsburg 1766
• Funeral speech on C G. von Zschock . Augsburg 1767
• Fourth piece of God's farm work started by his father, Samuel Ursperger, or the news about the American planting town of Eben-Ezer, built by Salburg emigrants. Augsburg 1767
• Attempt in friendly letters to determine more precisely the mystery of God and the Father and Christ, how thereby human and salvific divine knowledge is noticeably expanded and the most important doubts about both are addressed in a new loving way and brought to light for every reasonable but even more Christian reader passed for impartial examination. Frankfurt / Leipzig 1769–1774, 5th pieces
• Brief epitome of the main truths contained in the 1st part of the experiments in friendly letters, etc. Augsburg 1769
• Brief display of the main content of his lectures on the Gospels, in casual connection with the rest of the context of the life story of Jesus as described by Matthew. Augsburg 1770
• Talk of the dangerous influence of the exaggerated of the arts, of commerce, and of the sciences in Christianity, but how it would be a great happiness for men, the true flourish of the arts, commerce and science, and also a great promotion of Christianity among men if one walked the golden path of the Mittelstrasse in everything and worked oneself into an orderly and quiet life in all godliness and respectability. Augsburg 1770
• Words of revival on a day of repentance. Augsburg 1771
• Glory to God, a speech dedicated to his father S. Urlsprengler. Augsburg 1772
• Necessary reminder against a review, about the mystery of God, Augsburg 1773; New discussion of the question: Is it likely that the designations of God as Father, Son and Spirit ... will be included in his essence. Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig 1773
• Honorary memory of Mr. Samuel Urlsprengler's. Augsburg 1773
• New brief discussion of the question: whether it is likely, yes, possible, in the usual way, to name God as Father, Son or Spirit, i.e. i, to be included in his essence, or rather what these personal names of God indicate according to the Scriptures. Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig 1773
• Well-deserved honorary memory of a jubilant couple who were tenderly united in their life and soon reunited by a happy passing in one year, Mr. Samuel Ursprengler, senior and pastor of St. Anna in Augsburg, as well as women Sophia Jacobina, née Jägersberg, her unforgettable parents of Gratefully donated, collected and published to all their children, etc. Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig 1774
• New development of the old Christian doctrine of the Trinity, in accordance with the meaning of the Holy Scriptures, as an attempt at the closer determination of the mystery of God and the Father and Christ. 1st vol. Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig 1774
• Funeral speech for Mrs. Maria Catharina Tauber. Augsburg 1775
• My confession in the doctrine of the Trinity in short sentences, Augsburg 1775; To the public. D. Joh. Aug. Urlsperger's doctrine of the Trinity. Set up by himself. Augsburg 1777,
• Word of encouragement and farewell to the evangelical parish of the Holy Cross in Augsburg that was worthwhile and still worthy of him in the past six years while he was in his pastoral office. Augsburg 1776
• D. Johann August Urlsperger's brief system of his lecture on God's Trinity. Augsburg 1777
• To the public, concerning DJA Urlsperger's doctrine of the Trinity, set up by himself. Augsburg 1777
• Something to think about and to encourage friends of the kingdom of God; to be regarded as a manuscript and to be treated with wisdom and faithfulness according to its content. Augsburg 1779
• Thoughts of an unnamed, concerning the establishment of a German society, of accelerating the active promotion of pure doctrine and godliness, together with the answer. Augsburg 1779 (also under the title: Proposals and encouragement for the common basic investment in the building of the kingdom of God, according to the needs of the time in which we live )
• An important message concerning the kingdom of God and its wider scriptural expansion in our eyes. Augsburg 1780
• An Address to all sincere promoters of the Kingdom of God, resident in England, concerning the Establishment of an Association for promoting, vindicating and reviving Christianity in its fundamental purity in Knowledge and Practice. Inviting all intelligent and pious Evangelical Christians tu participate therein. For the better Illustration of Which, is annexed au Account, read in the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge the 2 of April 1780. London 1780
• Brief report of a proposed and actually emerging German society of noble active promoters of pure teaching and true godliness. Basel 1780
• Continued report of an emerging German society of noble, active promoters of pure teaching and true godliness. Basel 1781
• Nature and purpose of a German society to be established for future promoters of pure doctrine and true godliness. Basel 1781
• Urlsperger's word of edification of old and new content for one purpose. Augsburg 1783
• Supplement to the second continuation of the collection of messages on the light of the Gospel, which is rising to us in the Austrian states, in two letters. Offenbach 1784
• Evidence of the truth, important and various, prompted by the judgments uttered in public writings before and against the Society for the Promotion of Pure Doctrine and Godliness, drafted with modest frankness. Leipzig 1786

literature

• Eduard Jacobs :  Urlsperger, Johann August . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 39, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1895, pp. 355-361.
• Thomas Konrad Kuhn :  Urlsperger, Johann August. In: Biographisch-Bibliographisches Kirchenlexikon (BBKL). Volume 12, Bautz, Herzberg 1997, ISBN 3-88309-068-9 , Sp. 940-943.
• Hans Anstein:  Urlsperger, Joh Aug.. . In: Realencyklopadie for Protestant Theology and Church (RE). 3. Edition. Volume 20, Hinrichs, Leipzig 1908, pp. 336-342.
• Heinrich Doering : The learned theologians of Germany in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Verlag Johann Karl Gottfried Wagner, 1835, Neustadt an der Orla, vol. 4, p. 554 ( online ).
• Werner Raupp: Art .: Urlsperger, family of scholars. (luth.), in: Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB), Vol. 26 (2016), Col. 668–672 (with a brief description of the genealogy).
• Horst Weigelt: Johann August Urlsperger and the beginnings of the Christianity Society, Pietism and Modern Times Vol. 7, Göttingen 1982, pp. 52–68.
• Horst Weigelt: Johann August Urlsperger and the beginnings of the Christianity Society, in: Ders., History of Pietism in Bavaria. Beginnings - Development - Significance, Work on the History of Pietism, Vol. 40, Göttingen 2001, pp. 305-312.