Johannes Ernst grave

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Johannes Ernst grave

Johannes Ernst Grabe (born July 10, 1666 in Koenigsberg , † November 3, 1711 in Oxford ) was a German Lutheran , from 1697 Anglican , theologian .

Life

Johannes Ernst Grabe was born on July 10, 1666 in Königsberg as the son of the Lutheran theology professor Sylvester Grabe and his wife Sophie Behm, daughter of the theology professor Michael Behm . His brother was the librarian Sylvester Grabe . First he was trained by his parents in Königsberg. The family moved to Pomerania when the father was transferred there. Since then, Grabe has already mastered the Latin language at a native level. He was also trained by his mother's brother, Michael Behm, in Pomerania. He accompanied the grave to the University of Königsberg in 1682 . There he studied philosophy and history for three years and was promoted to a master's degree in 1685 . His thirst for knowledge and his in-depth knowledge made the early graduation possible. In connection with the master’s doctorate, he has now become a lecturer in history and rhetoric at the university . Later he also trained in theology and exegesis , so that he also gave theological lectures.

In 1686 the father died, so that in 1686/1687 Grabe undertook a study trip through Germany and visited several universities, as was the custom among scholars at the time. On his return he was also allowed to give lectures on church history . He was so popular that he was advised to apply for an extraordinary theology professorship to apply, but what he refused because he doubted already at the time of the Lutheran denomination. Because of the Königsberg syncretism and the writings of the Jesuit Robert Bellarmin , Grabe increasingly doubted the truth of the Lutheran Church. The ecumenical efforts of Georg Calixt were responsible for the syncretistic disputes in Königsberg . Minds differed between orthodoxy and rationalism , so that some switched to pietism , but those who were also unsatisfied with pietism converted to the Catholic faith. Grabe was persecuted, however, because he was suspected of accepting Catholic views.

Specifically, Grabe initially criticized the Lutheran denomination not the teaching, but the cult; he criticized that there was no valid priesthood with apostolic ordination and no offering at the sacrament . When the theology professor Johann Philipp Pfeiffer (1645–1695) converted with friends and students in 1694 , syncretism in Königsberg had reached its peak. On the occasion of this event, Grabe wrote a pamphlet addressed to the consistory called Dubia , as investigations ordered by the elector forced it. In it he accused Martin Luther of fivefold heresy and said that he had deviated from the correct faith. As a result, Grabe was briefly imprisoned in Pillau and then house arrested in Königsberg. In May 1695 he finally resigned from the Lutheran faith. In the Grabe case, the elector had appointed three experts to answer Grabes Dubia , one of whom was the pietist Philipp Jacob Spener . The other two reviewers were the Protestant theologians Johann Wilhelm Baier and Bernhard von Sanden . Grabe only responded to the last-named script in Compulsory Honor Rescue Against Sanden 1696. After the script had been written, Grabe traveled to Vienna , where he wanted to convert. Spener, however, advised Grabe against this in his writing to him. He argued with a Protestant interpretation of the biblical passage Revelation of John , 12.3 and at the same time recommended that he convert to the Anglican Church. In addition, Grabe received offers from Prussian universities, which he rejected.

Memorial for grave in Westminster Abbey of Francis Bird (1667–1731)

In 1697 , after discussing it with Spener in Berlin , Grabe finally emigrated to England and joined the Anglican Church. There he was ordained a priest and received other gifts from Queen Anne in addition to a royal pension. Grabe never appeared as a priest in England because he could not make friends with the Anglican doctrine of the Lord's Supper. He spent the next 14 years as a private scholar in Oxford and was particularly concerned with patristics and the Septuagint . He wrote important writings, his most important being a new edition of the Septuagint based on the Codex Alexandrinus . The work consisted of four parts, the second and third not being published until after the author's death. Grabe had proceeded very carefully in the work and included the three reviews of the Septuagint in the manuscripts available to him. Thus he created the basis for research on the Septuagint, which Paul de Lagarde , among others, later resorted to. In total, he introduced around 2000 carefully marked corrections in the text. Grabe received gifts all over the world for his work, including a gift of money from Friedrich I. Despite all this, he did not forget his homeland and tried to advertise the Anglican Church in Prussia.

Meanwhile, Grabe received an honorary theological doctorate from Oxford University for his services in 1706. Ultimately, he was also not satisfied with the Anglican faith, which was probably one of the reasons for his homesickness in later years. On the whole, he was pious and humble and was called the Blessed by the people . He was in poor health and ended his life on November 13, 1711 in Oxford at the age of 45. He is buried in St. Pancras in London . In 1726 an alabaster memorial was erected in his honor in Westminster Abbey . In Doctor habit he is shown leaning on a coffin with his right arm and holding a book in his left.

Works

  • Animadversiones historicae in controversias Bellarmini (1692)
  • Forced rescue of honor (1696)
  • Specilegium patrum et haereticorum saeculi I-III p. Chr. (First volume 1698; second volume 1700)
  • Liturgia graeca (published by Christoph Matthäus Pfaff Den Haag 1715)
  • Justin's Apology (1700)
  • Irenaeus, Contra haereses libri V (1702)
  • Septuagint I (1707; Part II edited by Francis Lee 1719; Part III edited by G. Wigan 1720; Part IV 1729)

literature

personal data
SURNAME Grave, Johannes Ernst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Lutheran, later Anglican theologian
DATE OF BIRTH July 10, 1666
PLACE OF BIRTH Koenigsberg
DATE OF DEATH November 3, 1711
Place of death Oxford