Johann Heinrich Reß

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Johann Heinrich Reß (born March 28, 1732 in Helmstedt , † January 11, 1803 in Wolfenbüttel ) was a German Lutheran theologian, teacher and writer.

During his lifetime Reß published numerous theological essays and writings on practical teacher training; However, he only became better known as a participant in the fragments dispute with Gotthold Ephraim Lessing .

Life

Reß was born in 1732 as the son of Johann Prosper Reß, Rector of the Helmstedt City School. After finishing his school education he began on December 15, 1749 at the Academia Julia ( University of Helmstedt ) to study theology. After visiting the Seminary of the Monastery Riddagshausen he was born on September 18, 1758 before the consistory to Wolfenbüttel ordained . Due to his appointment as pastor and inspector of the Braunschweig orphanage Beatae Mariae Virginis , he did not take up his position as deacon in Vorsfelde and pastor in Parsau, which he had received in October 1759. Reß worked in the orphanage from the beginning of 1760 as a pastor, teacher and finally headmaster until he was transferred to Thiede as superintendent in August 1765 . In the following years Reß was appointed archdeacon of the Wolfenbüttel main church Beatae Mariae Virginis , in which he had worked as a pastor since 1773, and obtained the office of inspector of the Wolfenbüttel school teacher seminar, which he held until his death.

On November 16, 1792 Johann Heinrich Reß was appointed provost of the monastery " To the honor of God " in Wolfenbüttel. After the death of the local abbot Franz Anton Knittel in 1793, Reß received the title of pastor primarius at the main church of Beatae Mariae Virginis. After he did not get the general superintendent, which had been administered by Knittel, Johann Heinrich Reß abandoned the Thieder superintendent, which he had received in 1765.

Johann Heinrich Reß died of consumption on January 11, 1803. He left his wife and a son and two daughters.

Reß's house at Reichsstrasse 4 on Wolfenbütteler Kornmarkt, opposite the main church BMV, can still be visited today on city tours.

Act

Pedagogical work

Reß was considered a philanthropist of his time. His top priority was that of a practice-oriented teacher training, which should prepare for practical life. In addition to theoretical knowledge, Reß believes that the students should be given a sense of reality and real life. In addition to promoting industrial lessons, Reß therefore advocated a learning-friendly environment in schools, such as large playgrounds or optimal conditions for the students in the classrooms.

Reß wanted to bring the theological principles to which he was obliged as a pastor closer to practical life and thereby embed religion more in everyday life; so the Christian values ​​and morals should not only be firmly manifest in thought, but also in action.

Reß was primarily active as a teacher and examiner for the prospective country school masters and took care of the training of the country school teacher.

Theological position

Johann Heinrich Reß was a believer in the theories of faith of the Protestant theologian Siegmund Jakob Baumgarten throughout his life . It represented the connection between Orthodox Lutheranism and Halle Pietism.

Writing

Reß worked as a writer in the fields of theology, history and agriculture. Many of his works were published in the Braunschweigisches Magazin during his lifetime , most of them dealing with the subject of teacher training for practical life or aspects of regional history. In 1806, three years after his death, Reß's most extensive work appeared, “On the naming and origin of all places in the Duchy of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel”. However, Reß attracted a great deal of attention primarily through the fragmentation dispute with Gotthold E. Lessing, in which he was significantly involved.

Fragments dispute with GE Lessing

Gotthold E. Lessing, then head of the ducal library in Wolfenbüttel , published seven anonymous articles from 1773 under the title “Fragments of an Unnamed” in the journal “Zur Geschichte und Literatur aus den Schätze der Herzlichen Bibliothek zu Wolfenbüttel”. Therein ten controversies about the resurrection of Christ were set up, in which the individual Gospels differ from one another. Reß responded to these theses in 1777 with his work "The resurrection story of Jesus Christ defended against some new objection made in the fourth contribution to the history and literature from the treasures of the ducal library in Wolfenbüttel" (Braunschweiger Verlag der Fürstlichen Waisenhausbuchhandlung). In it he tried to rebut the contradictions outlined above and thus the conclusion that the biblical resurrection is untrustworthy. Although Reß remained unnamed as the author, Lessing knew about him as an author and addressed him directly as a “dear neighbor” in his reply “Eine Duplik”. Since Reß's argumentation remained shallow and not very logical, it was not difficult for Lessing to belittle Reß's work. Initially still matter-of-fact, Lessing quickly fell into an ironic and mocking, "extremely passionate and scornful tone [...] which even made an embarrassing impression on contemporary admirers of Lessing". Lessing's harsh tone was later attributed to his grief over the loss of his wife and child. In 1779, Johann Heinrich Reß delivered his publication “The Resurrection of Jesus Christ without contradictions, against a duplicate” (Hanover 1779) as a counter-reaction to “a duplicate”, but Lessing left it unanswered without any comment.

Works (selection)

  • About the name and origin of all places of the Duchy of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. Wolfenbüttel 1806 ( books.google.de ).
  • The story of the resurrection of Jesus Christ against some in the fourth contribution to the history and literature from the treasures of the ducal library in Wolfenbüttel, made new objection, defended Braunschweig 1777 ( books.google.de ).
  • The resurrection story of Jesus Christ without contradictions, against a duplicate Hanover 1779.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Paul Zimmermann: Reß, Johann Heinrich. In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie. Volume 28: Reinbeck - Rodbertus. Leipzig 1889, p. 251.
personal data
SURNAME Reß, Johann Heinrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Lutheran theologian and author
DATE OF BIRTH March 28, 1732
PLACE OF BIRTH Helmstedt
DATE OF DEATH January 11, 1803
Place of death Wolfenbüttel