Ludwig Ernesti

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Heinrich Friedrich Theodor Ludwig Ernesti (born May 27, 1814 in Braunschweig , † August 17, 1880 in Wolfenbüttel ) was a German Lutheran theologian . For about 30 years he had a decisive influence on the regional church in Brunswick , to which he left a regional catechism that was valid for decades with his Small Catechism , published in 1858 .

life and work

The son of a Braunschweig innkeeper attended grammar school and the Collegium Carolinum in his hometown. From 1832 to 1835 he studied philology and Protestant theology in Göttingen . His academic teacher Friedrich Lücke , a representative of the mediation theology influenced by Friedrich Schleiermacher , was formative . In the spring of 1838 Ernesti became assistant pastor at the St. Andreas Church in Braunschweig. On January 1, 1843, he went to the main church in Wolfenbüttel as second pastor , where he was also appointed city ​​superintendent in the same year . Since 1844 he was involved in the Gustav-Adolf-Verein and in 1845 became chairman of the Wolfenbütteler Kreisverein. Ernesti became the first preacher of the main church in Wolfenbüttel and consistorial councilor in 1850 . He was a member of the Braunschweig regional assembly and a member of the ministerial commission for the section on spiritual and school affairs. Since 1852 he was a representative of the Brunswick regional church at the Eisenach church conference , which he repeatedly chaired since 1874. In 1859 he took over the office of general superintendent of the General Inspection Wolfenbüttel, which he resigned in 1879. He played a major role in the introduction of the Synodal Constitution in 1869. In 1877 he was appointed Vice-President of the Consistory.

The Small Catechism of 1858

Ernesti developed a state catechism, which appeared for the first time in 1858 and was introduced into all Evangelical Lutheran churches, school teacher seminars and community schools in the Duchy of Braunschweig by means of a sovereign ordinance of December 28, 1858. This replaced the Ziegenbein -Banksche Kleine Bibel , which had been in force since 1839 . Ernesti's catechism contained 590 questions and answers as well as multiple related quotations from the Bible, including 182 questions about the Ten Commandments, 203 questions about the Creed, 74 questions about the Our Father and 83 questions about baptism and the Lord's Supper. The catechism had more than 80 editions and was used in part until 1930.

Honors

In 1852 he was made abbot of the Mariental monastery . The University of Marburg awarded him an honorary theological doctorate in 1856 . In 1876, Duke Wilhelm von Braunschweig awarded him the Commander's Cross, Class II, of the Order of Henry the Lion .

family

Ernesti was married twice, first to Philippine Luise Marie, née Röer († 1869), then to Hermine Henriette Auguste, née Trader, with whom he was married on April 19, 1870 in Halle on the Weser . Four sons survived from his first marriage and a daughter from the second. His grandson Hans Ernesti (1884–1953) was also a Lutheran theologian.

Fonts (selection)

  • The Little Catechism of Dr. Martin Luther's questions and answers. Brunswick 1858.
  • On the origin of sin according to Pauline doctrine. 2 volumes, Wolfenbüttel 1855–1862.
  • The basic features of the ethics of the apostle Paul are presented. Braunschweig 1868.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Friedrich Weber, Birgit Hoffmann, Hans-Jürgen Engelking (ed.): From the baptism of the Saxons to the church in Lower Saxony. Braunschweig 2010, p. 676.
personal data
SURNAME Ernesti, Ludwig
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ernesti, Heinrich Friedrich Theodor Ludwig (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Lutheran theologian and superintendent
DATE OF BIRTH May 27, 1814
PLACE OF BIRTH Braunschweig
DATE OF DEATH 17th August 1880
Place of death Wolfenbüttel