Editing Philipp Spener (section)

==Life==
Spener was born on 23 January 1635, in [[Ribeauvillé|Rappoltsweiler]], [[Upper Alsace]], now part of France, in Spener's time as part of the [[Holy Roman Empire]]. After a brief time at the [[grammar school]] of [[Colmar]], he went to [[University of Strasbourg|Strasbourg]] in 1651. There he devoted himself to the study of [[philology]], [[history]] and [[philosophy]], and won his degree of master in 1653, with a disputation against the philosophy of [[Thomas Hobbes]]. He then became private tutor to the princes Christian and Charles of the [[Electorate of the Palatinate]], and lectured in the university on [[philology]] and history. From 1659 to 1662, he visited the universities of [[university of Basel|Basel]], [[university of Tübingen|Tübingen]] and [[university of Geneva|Geneva]], and commenced the study of [[heraldry]], which he pursued throughout his life. In [[Geneva]] especially, his religious views and tendencies turned in the direction of mysticism.<ref name="Chisholm1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Spener, Philipp Jakob}}</ref>

[[Image:Gedenktafel Nikolaikirchplatz (Mitte) Philipp Jacob Spener.jpg|thumb|Memorial plaque on Nikolaikirchplatz in Berlin]]

Spener returned to Strasbourg in 1663, where he was appointed preacher without pastoral duties, with the right of holding lectures. Three years afterwards, he was invited to become the chief pastor in the [[Lutheran]] Church at [[Frankfurt]]. Here he published his two chief works, ''Pia desideria'' (1675) and ''Allgemeine Gottesgelehrtheit'' (1680), and began that form of pastoral work which resulted in the movement called [[Pietism]].<ref>Christopher Clark: "Iron Kingdom", 2006. p 125</ref>

In 1686, he accepted the invitation to the first court chaplaincy at [[Dresden]]. The [[John George III, Elector of Saxony|Elector John George III]], at whose personal desire the post had been offered to him, was soon offended when Spener condemned the morals of John George's court.<ref>Christopher Clark: "Iron Kingdom", 2006. p 125</ref> Spener refused to resign his post, and the [[Saxony|Saxon]] government hesitated to dismiss him. In 1691, the Saxon representative at [[Berlin]] induced the court of [[Margraviate of Brandenburg|Brandenburg]] to offer him the rectorship of St Nicholas in Berlin, with the title of counsellor of the Marcher [[consistory (Protestantism)|Consistory]] (Konsistorialrat).<ref name="Chisholm1911"/>

In Berlin, Spener was held in high honour, though the tendencies of the court and the government officials were rather rationalistic than pietistic. The [[University of Halle]] was founded under his influence in 1694. All his life, Spener had been exposed to the attacks and abuse of the [[orthodox Lutheran]] theologians. Over time, his opponents multiplied, and the movement which he started accumulated hostile criticism. In 1695, the theological faculty of [[University of Wittenberg|Wittenberg]] formally accused him of 264 errors. Only his death released him from these fierce conflicts. His last important work was ''Theologische Bedenken'' (1700–1702), to which was added after his death ''Letzte theologische Bedenken'', with a biography of Spener by [[Karl Hildebrand, Count of Canstein|CH von Canstein]] (1711).<ref name="Chisholm1911"/> Spener died in Berlin, on 5 February 1705, aged 70.