Editing Johann Arndt (section)

==Biography==
He was born in Edderitz near [[Ballenstedt]], in [[Anhalt-Köthen]], and studied in several universities.
He was at [[university of Helmstedt|Helmstedt]] in 1576 and at [[university of Wittenberg|Wittenberg]] in 1577. At Wittenberg the [[crypto-Calvinist]] controversy was then at its height, and he took the side of [[Philipp Melanchthon|Melanchthon]] and the crypto-Calvinists. He continued his studies in [[Strasbourg]], under the professor of [[Hebrew language|Hebrew]], [[Johannes Pappus]] (1549–1610), a zealous Lutheran, the crown of whose life's work was the forcible suppression of [[Calvinism|Calvinistic]] preaching and worship in the day, and who had great influence over him.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

In [[Basel]], again, he studied theology under [[Simon Sulzer]] (1508–1585), a broad-minded divine of Lutheran sympathies, whose aim was to reconcile the churches of the Helvetic and Wittenberg confessions. In 1581 he went back to Ballenstedt, but was soon recalled to active life by his appointment to the pastorate at Badeborn in 1583.
After some time his Lutheran tendencies aroused the anger of the authorities, who were of the [[reformed churches|Reformed Church]].
Consequently, in 1590 he was deposed for refusing to remove the pictures from his church and discontinue the use of [[exorcism]] at [[baptism]]. He found an asylum in [[Quedlinburg]] (1590). However, he was very unpopular with the townspeople, and for that reason was transferred to St Martin's church at [[Braunschweig|Brunswick]] in 1599. He later worked in [[Eisleben]], and from 1611 until his death in 1621 he was general superintendent in [[Celle]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} Among his last words were "Now I have overcome all."<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=s8xwDQAAQBAJ&q=Arndt%2C+Johann&pg=PT460 Last and Near-Last Words of the Famous, Infamous and Those In-Between] By Joseph W. Lewis Jr. M.D.</ref>

Arndt's fame rests on his writings. These were mainly of a mystical and devotional kind, and were inspired by [[Bernard of Clairvaux|St Bernard]], [[Johannes Tauler]] and [[Thomas à Kempis]]. His principal work, ''Wahres Christentum'' (book 1: 1605; books 1-4: 1606–1610) i.e. "True Christianity", which has been translated into most European languages, has served as the foundation of many books of devotion, both [[Roman Catholic]] and [[Protestant]]. Arndt here dwells upon the mystical union between the believer and Christ, and endeavours, by drawing attention to Christ's life ''in'' His people, to correct the purely forensic side of the reformation theology, which paid almost exclusive attention to Christ's death ''for'' His people.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Like [[Martin Luther|Luther]], Arndt was very fond of the little anonymous book, ''[[Theologia Germanica]]''. He published an edition of it and called attention to its merits in a special preface. After ''Wahres Christentum'', Arndt's best-known work is ''Paradiesgärtlein aller christlichen Tugenden'', which was published in 1612. Both these books have been translated into English: ''Paradiesgärtlein'' with the title ''the Garden of Paradise'', and ''Wahres Christentum'' as ''True Christianity''. Several of his sermons are published in R. Nesselmann's ''Buch der Predigten'' (1858). A collected edition of his works was published in Leipzig and Görlitz in 1734.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Arndt was held in very high repute by the German [[pietism|Pietists]]. The founder of Pietism, [[Philipp Jakob Spener]], repeatedly called attention to him and his writings, and even went so far as to compare him with [[Plato]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}} So important was Arndt's influence on the early Pietists that some scholars have even called him the true founder of the movement.{{Citation needed|date=December 2017}}

His impact in Sweden includes [[Jesper Swedberg]]<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bexell |first=Oloph |author-link=Oloph Bexell |title=Jesper Swedberg |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=34820&forceOrdinarySite=true |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=[[Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon]] |language=sv}}</ref> and [[Peter Lorenz Sellergren]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Madeland |first=Olle |title=Peter Lorenz Sellergren |url=https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=5860 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220409082611/https://sok.riksarkivet.se/sbl/Presentation.aspx?id=5860 |archive-date=2022-04-09 |access-date=2022-04-15 |website=[[Svenskt Biografiskt Lexikon]] |language=sv}}</ref>