Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe
Encyclopedia
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of the Lutheran
Lutheranism
Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the theology of Martin Luther, a German reformer. Luther's efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation...
Church, Neo-Lutheran writer, and is often regarded as being a founder of the deaconess movement in Lutheranism and a founding sponsor of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod
The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod is a traditional, confessional Lutheran denomination in the United States. With 2.3 million members, it is both the eighth largest Protestant denomination and the second-largest Lutheran body in the U.S. after the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The Synod...
(LCMS). He was a pastor in nineteenth-century Germany. From the small town of Neuendettelsau
Neuendettelsau
Neuendettelsau is a local authority in Middle Franconia, Germany. Neuendettelsau is situated 20 miles southwest of Nuremberg and 12 miles east of Ansbach. Population: 7.833 ....
, he sent pastors to North America, Australia, New Guinea, Brazil, and the Ukraine. His work for a clear confessional basis within the Bavarian church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria is a Protestant church in the German state of Bavaria. The seat of the church is in Munich....
sometimes led to conflict with the ecclesiastical bureaucracy. His chief concern was that a parish find its life in the eucharist, and from that source evangelism and social ministries would flow. Many Lutheran congregations in Michigan, Ohio, and Iowa were either founded or influenced by missionaries sent by Lõhe. He is commemorated by the ELCA
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
and the LCMS on 2 January.
Birth and early life
Löhe was born on 21 February 1808 in the town of FürthFürth
The city of Fürth is located in northern Bavaria, Germany in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. It is now contiguous with the larger city of Nuremberg, the centres of the two cities being only 7 km apart....
in Middle Franconia
Middle Franconia
Middle Franconia is one of the three administrative regions of Franconia in Bavaria, Germany. It is in the west of Bavaria and adjoins the state of Baden-Württemberg...
. The son of a shopkeeper, his father died in 1816 and he seemed to have had a very lonely childhood. He received his basic education from C. L. Roth’s gymnasium in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and was admitted to theological study at the University of Erlangen in 1826. He was heavily influenced by the Reformed professor of theology Christian Krafft and Thomas von Kempen. Ultimately, he was introduced to the Lutheran Confessions
Book of Concord
The Book of Concord or Concordia is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century...
and became a Lutheran under the teaching of David Hollaz. In 1828 he spent a term at the University of Berlin, attracted not so much by the lectures of the professors as by the sermons of the famous preachers. Löhe graduated from the Erlangen in 1830, but waited until 1831 before receiving a pastoral assignment to Kirchenlamitz
Kirchenlamitz
Kirchenlamitz is a town in the district of Wunsiedel, in Bavaria, Germany. It is situated in the Fichtelgebirge, 13 km northwest of Wunsiedel and 19 km south of Hof....
in Fürth.
Pastoral work
Löhe’s work in Fürth was a troubled one. His fervent evangelicalEvangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
preaching attracted large congregations and puzzled the ecclesiastical authorities. A similar experience ensued at Nuremberg, where he was assistant pastor of St. Egidien (ie St. Giles) as he was often criticized for his sermons and his anti-pietistic
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
leanings. He transferred through a series of parishes before settling in the village of Neuendettelsau
Neuendettelsau
Neuendettelsau is a local authority in Middle Franconia, Germany. Neuendettelsau is situated 20 miles southwest of Nuremberg and 12 miles east of Ansbach. Population: 7.833 ....
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in 1837 after failing to gain an assignment in an urban setting. He was married that same year.
By most accounts, Löhe was an ideal pastor who interacted well with a variety of different classes of people. He focused his theological studies on the Lutheran Confessions and put considerable thought into the celebration of Holy Communion as the center of congregational life. Löhe was especially interested in old Lutheran liturgies. Löhe was also noted for his ontological view of the pastoral office, which he believed existed independently of congregational call but as a direct appointment from Jesus Christ
Scholastic Lutheran Christology
Scholastic Lutheran Christology is the orthodox Lutheran theology of Jesus Christ, developed using the methodology of Lutheran scholasticism.On the general basis of the Chalcedonian christology, and following the...
through ordination
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
. He combined all these ideas with a heavy insistence on social renewal.
Löhe endured strained relations with the regional authorities over articulating a clear confessional status for the church during a period from 1848 until 1852. At one point, he even considered leaving the church, though ultimately he was able to resolve differences between him and the church leadership.
Missionary work
Despite being confined to a pastorate in an out of the way village, which he never left, Löhe nevertheless exhibited a keen interest in missionary work. He was particularly concerned about the state of German immigrants to North AmericaNorth America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
. He solicited funds through a variety of sources to help bolster the spiritual state of the immigrant population beginning in 1841. He also encouraged the sending of pastors to North America to assist the settlers and help with conversion of the Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
populations. To this end, he constructed two schools to train missionaries. One of which became Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Individuals sent by Löhe were instrumental in the founding of the Synod of Ohio, though Löhe withdrew his support from the Synod in 1845 over doctrinal differences. Löhe’s emissaries also founded the Missouri Synod in 1846. In 1853, Löhe supporters established the Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Iowa. While Löhe is most well remembered for his encouragement of missionary activity in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he also supported work in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
through his Foreign Missionary Society.
Deaconess community
In addition to being concerned about foreign matters, Löhe retained a concern for domestic social matters. In this spirit, he founded the first Deaconess house in 1849. The house became a place of social and education activity, hosting schools, hospitals, and other social agencies.Legacy
Löhe died on 2 January 1872 at the age of sixty-three, having influenced the life of the Lutheran Church on five continents. The chapel at Wartburg Theological SeminaryWartburg Theological Seminary
Wartburg Theological Seminary is a Lutheran seminary located in Dubuque, Iowa. It offers three graduate-level degrees , a TEEM Certificate, and a Diploma in Anglican Studies, all of which are accredited by the Association of Theological Schools and the Higher Learning Commission of the...
in Dubuque
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
, Iowa is dedicated to his memory. Despite his significant influence on missions, confessionalism, and liturgics as it relates to Lutheranism, there is no comprehensive biography in English.
Writings
- Samenkorner des Gebetes (this is 4th, out of over 30 ed.)
- Seed-grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians (Samenkorner des Gebetes translated into English by H. A. Weller, complete work online)
- Sieben Predigten (Nuremberg, 1836)
- Predigten über das Vaterunser (1837)
- Erinnerungen aus der Reformationsgeschichte von Franken (Nuremberg, 1847)
- Drei Bücher von der Kirche (1845) - the main work, concerning ecclesiologyEcclesiologyToday, ecclesiology usually refers to the theological study of the Christian church. However when the word was coined in the late 1830s, it was defined as the science of the building and decoration of churches and it is still, though rarely, used in this sense.In its theological sense, ecclesiology...
- Haus-, Schul- und Kirchenbuch für Christen lutherischen Bekenntnisses (Stuttgart, 1845)
- Agende für christliche Gemeinden (1848). - Lutheran Service Book
- Die bayerische Generalsynode vom Frühjahr 1849 und das Lutherische Bekenntnis (Nuremberg, 1849)
- Unsere kirchliche Lage (Nordlingen, 1850)
- Kirche und Amt, neue Aphorismen (Erlangen, 1851)
- Der evangelische Geistliche (2 vols., 1852–58)
- Etwas aus der Geschichte des Diaconissenhauses Neuendettelsau. 3. Auflage. Gütersloh: C. Bertelsmann, 1907.
See also
- Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)The Lutheran Calendar of Saints is a listing which details the primary annual festivals and events that are celebrated liturgically by some Lutheran Churches in the United States. The calendars of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod are from the...
- Neo-LutheranismNeo-LutheranismNeo-Lutheranism was a 19th century revival movement within Lutheranism which began with the Pietist driven Erweckung, or Awakening, and developed in reaction against theological rationalism and pietism...
- Evangelical catholic
- William Augustus Mühlenberg
- Johann FlierlJohann FlierlJohann Flierl , was a pioneer Lutheran missionary in New Guinea. He established mission schools and organized the construction of roads and communication between otherwise remote interior locations. Under his leadership, Lutheran evangelicalism flourished in New Guinea...
- Frankenmuth, MI
External links
- LÖHE, JOHANN KONRAD WILHELM (New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, Vol. VII)
- Löhe, Johann Konrad Wilhelm article in Christian CyclopediaChristian CyclopediaChristian Cyclopedia is a one-volume compendium of theological data, ranging from ancient figures to contemporary events. It is published by Concordia Publishing House. It should not be confused with The Lutheran Cyclopedia , edited by Henry Eyster Jacobs and Charles A.W...
- The Ecclesial Vision of Wilhelm Löhe By David C. Ratke, Lenoir-Rhyne College. April 4, 2002
- Lutheran Liturgies from Martin Luther to Wilhelm Löhe (PDF) by Vernon P. Kleinig, Concordia Theological Quarterly, April 1998
- Project Wittenberg: Johannes Konrad Wilhelm Löhe, 1808-1872
- A little Löhe for Lutherans
- Wilhelm Löhe: Man with a Vision
- Germany Fed. Rep. 1972 stamp devoted to Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe
- Wolf, Edmund Jacob. The Lutherans in America; a story of struggle, progress, influence and marvelous growth. New York: J.A. Hill. 1889.
