Zinzendorf

Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf (1700–1760).
Der Teutsche Socrates.
Leipzig: Samuel Benjamin Walthem, 1732. (AFH8753)

Zinzendorf, an aristocratic godson of Phillip Jakob Spener, rose to prominence as a Pietist preacher, hymn writer, and community organizer. Although he studied at Halle and Wittenberg, preparing for a career as a diplomat, in 1734 Zinzendorf was ordained a Lutheran minister. Three years later he was consecrated bishop in the Unitas Fratrum (Unity of the Brethren, or Moravian Church). In 1738 John Wesley visited Zinzendorf to study his Pietist beliefs and his organizational methods. Both informed Wesley’s development of the Methodist movement.

Shown is a collection of sermons by Zinzendorf printed during the author’s lifetime. The first comprises sermons preached in the ducal court at Dresden in 1725 and 1726. The mention of Socrates in the title is a metaphorical reference to the human search for truth.