Editing Johann Gerhard

{{Short description|Lutheran theologian (1582–1637)}}
{{for|the English Cavalier found guilty of conspiring to assassinate the Lord Protector|John Gerard (Royalist)}}
[[Image:Johann Gerhard.jpg|thumb|Johann Gerhard]]
{{lutheranism}}
'''Johannes Gerhard''' (17 October 1582 – 17 August 1637) was a [[Lutheran]] church leader and [[Lutheran scholasticism|Lutheran Scholastic]] theologian during the [[Lutheran Orthodoxy|period of Orthodoxy]].

==Biography==
He was born in the German city of [[Quedlinburg]]. During a dangerous illness, at the age of fourteen he came under the personal influence of [[Johann Arndt]], author of ''Das wahre Christenthum'', and resolved to study for the church. He entered the [[University of Wittenberg]] in 1599, and studied [[philosophy]] and theology. A relative then persuaded him to change his subject, and he studied medicine for two years. In 1603, he resumed his theological reading at [[University of Jena|Jena]], and in the following year received a new impulse from J.W. Winckelmann and Balthasar Mentzer at Marburg. He graduated in 1605 and began to give lectures at Jena, then in 1606 he accepted the invitation of [[John Casimir, Duke of Coburg]], to the superintendency of [[Heldburg]] and mastership of the gymnasium [[Casimirianum Coburg]]; soon afterwards he became general superintendent of the duchy, in which capacity he was engaged in the practical work of ecclesiastical organization until 1616, when he became the senior theological professor at Jena, where the remainder of his life was spent.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

Here, with [[Johann Major]] and [[Johann Himmel]], he formed the "Trias Johannea." Though still comparatively young, Gerhard was already regarded as the greatest living [[theology|theologian]] of [[Protestant]] Germany; in the "disputations" of the period he was always protagonist, and his advice was sought on all public and domestic questions touching on religion or morals. During his lifetime he received repeated calls to almost every university in Germany (e.g. [[university of Giessen|Giessen]], [[university of Altdorf|Altdorf]], [[university of Helmstedt|Helmstedt]], [[University of Jena|Jena]], [[University of Halle-Wittenberg|Wittenberg]]), as well as to [[Uppsala University|Uppsala]] in [[Sweden]]. He died in [[Jena]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Writings==
His writings are numerous, alike in [[exegetical]], [[polemical]], [[dogma]]tic and practical theology. To the first category belong the {{lang|la|Commentarius in harmoniam historiae evangelicae de passione Christi}} (1617), the ''Comment, super priorem D. Petri epistolam'' (1641), and also his commentaries on ''Genesis'' (1637) and on ''Deuteronomy'' (1658). Of a controversial character are the ''[[Confessio Catholica]]'' (1633–1637), an extensive work which seeks to prove the [[Evangelical Catholic|''evangelical'' and catholic]] character of the doctrine of the [[Augsburg Confession]] from the writings of approved Roman Catholic authors; and the ''Loci communes theologici'' (1610–1622), his principal contribution, in which Lutheranism is expounded "''nervose, solide et copiose''," in fact with a fulness of learning, a force of [[logic]] and a minuteness of detail that had never before been approached.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

The ''Meditationes sacrae'' (1606), a work expressly devoted to the uses of Christian edification, has been frequently reprinted in [[Latin]] and has been translated into most of the European languages, including [[Greek language|Greek]].{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

==Works==
* A full listing of printings of Gerhard's works from 1601 to 2002 is in Johann Anselm Steiger, ed., ''Bibliographia Gerhardina 1601–2002: Verzeichnis der Druckschriften Johann Gerhards (1582–1637) sowie ihrer Neuausgaben, Übersetzungen und Bearbeitungen'' (Stuttgart-Bad Cannstatt: frommann-holzboog, 2003). {{ISBN|3-7728-1930-3}}
* ''Loci Theologici'' (1610–1625; reprint, Berlin: Schlawitz, 1863–85), [https://books.google.com/books?id=9CUBAAAAQAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Johann%20Gerhard%22%20intitle%3Alocorum&pg=PR1 vol. 1 (1625 ''Exegesis'')], [https://books.google.com/books?id=JSYBAAAAQAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Johann%20Gerhard%22%20intitle%3Alocorum&pg=PP7 vol. 3 (1610 ''Loci'')], [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_ZCYBAAAAQAAJ <!-- quote=inauthor:"Johann Gerhard" intitle:locorum. --> vol. 5], [https://books.google.com/books?id=qyYBAAAAQAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Johann%20Gerhard%22%20intitle%3Alocorum&pg=PP7 vol. 7], [https://archive.org/details/locitheologicit00gerhgoog <!-- quote=inauthor:"Johann Gerhard" intitle:locorum. --> vol. 8], [https://archive.org/details/locitheologicic02gerhgoog <!-- quote=inauthor:"Johann Gerhard" intitle:locorum. --> vol. 9], [https://archive.org/details/LociTheologici vol. 1-9]
* ''[[Confessio Catholica]]'' (Jena, 1634–37), [https://books.google.com/books?id=FjJBAAAAcAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Johann%20Gerhard%22%20intitle%3Aconfessio&pg=PT3 volume 1], [https://books.google.com/books?id=BT1BAAAAcAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Johann%20Gerhard%22&pg=PT9 volume 2/1], [https://books.google.com/books?id=Vz1BAAAAcAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Johann%20Gerhard%22&pg=PT3 volume 2/2], [https://books.google.com/books?id=HD5BAAAAcAAJ&dq=inauthor%3A%22Johann%20Gerhard%22%20intitle%3Aconfessio&pg=PR4 volume 2/3], [https://archive.org/details/Confessio_Catholica_Full (Frankfurt, 1679)].
* [http://retinenda.com/category/meditationes-sacrae/ Meditationes Sacrae (original Latin text with audio recordings)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090912213844/http://retinenda.com/category/meditationes-sacrae/ |date=2009-09-12 }}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090306231139/http://www3.thulb.uni-jena.de/gerhard/ Johann Gerhards Handexemplar der Lutherbibel] - Digital copy of Johann Gerhard's personal annotated Bible

=== Translations ===
* ''Theological Commonplaces: Exegesis, or A More Copious Explanation of Certain Articles of the Christian Religion (1625): On the Nature of Theology and on Scripture'', rev. ed., translated by Richard J. Dinda, edited with annotations by Benjamin T. G. Mayes (St. Louis: [[Concordia Publishing House]], 2009). {{ISBN|978-0-7586-1512-1}}
* ''Theological Commonplaces: Exegesis, or A More Copious Explanation of Certain Articles of the Christian Religion (1625): On the Nature of God and On the Most Holy Mystery of the Trinity'', translated by Richard J. Dinda, edited with annotations by Benjamin T. G. Mayes (St. Louis: [[Concordia Publishing House]], 2007). {{ISBN|978-0-7586-0989-2}}
* ''Theological Commonplaces: Exegesis, or A More Copious Explanation of Certain Articles of the Christian Religion (1625): On the Person and Office of Christ'', translated by Richard J. Dinda, edited with annotations by Benjamin T. G. Mayes (St. Louis: [[Concordia Publishing House]], 2009). {{ISBN|978-0-7586-1010-2}}
* ''Theological Commonplaces: On the Church'', translated by Richard J. Dinda, edited with annotations by Benjamin T. G. Mayes (St. Louis: [[Concordia Publishing House]], 2010). {{ISBN|978-0-7586-1867-2}}
* ''Meditations on Divine Mercy'', translated by [[Matthew C. Harrison]] (St. Louis: [[Concordia Publishing House]], 2003).
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=5m5IAAAAYAAJ&dq=Heisler+inauthor%3Agerhard%2C+meditations&pg=PA1 ''Sacred Meditations'', translated by C. W. Heisler (Philadelphia: Lutheran Publication Society, 1896).]
* ''An Explanation of the History of the Suffering and Death of our Lord Jesus Christ'', translated by Elmer M. Hohle (Malone, TX: Repristination Press, 1999).
* ''[http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/the-external-elements-in-the-lords-supper/ The External Symbols or Earthly Matter in the Lord's Supper]'', translated by Nathaniel J. Biebert ([http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/ Red Brick Parsonage], 2013).
* ''[http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/2012/05/03/commentary-on-1-timothy-4-12/ Commentary on 1 Timothy 4:12]'', translated by Nathaniel J. Biebert ([http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/ Red Brick Parsonage], 2012).
* ''[http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/2011/07/08/not-ashamed-of-the-cross/ Not Ashamed of the Cross: Commentary on 2 Timothy 1:11–18]'', translated by Nathaniel J. Biebert ([http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/ Red Brick Parsonage], 2011).
* ''[http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/troublesome-times/ Troublesome Times: Commentary on 2 Timothy 3:1–5]'', translated by Nathaniel J. Biebert ([http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/ Red Brick Parsonage], 2013).
* ''[http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/2014/11/03/the-necessity-of-being-persecuted/ The Necessity of Being Persecuted: Commentary on 2 Timothy 3:10-13]'', translated by Nathaniel J. Biebert ([http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/ Red Brick Parsonage], 2014).
* ''[http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/2015/12/02/finishing-the-race/ Finishing the Race: Commentary on 2 Timothy 4:6–8]'', translated by Nathaniel J. Biebert ([http://redbrickparsonage.wordpress.com/ Red Brick Parsonage], 2015).

==Notes==
<references group="Šmelhaus, Ŕecká patrologie: Skriptum pro študijní účely Komen- ského evangelické bohoslovecké fakulty, Praha 1972. - H. Kraft, Slovník sta- rokŕesťanské literatúry. Životy, spisy a nauka ŕeckých, latinských, syrských, egyptských a arménských církevních otcu, prel. J. Kaplan, česká patrologická bibliografie J. Dvorak, Kostelní Vydrí 2005." />
{{Reflist}}

==References==
* {{EB1911|wstitle=Gerhard, Johann}} This work in turn cites:
** ''Vita Joh. Gerhardi'', (published by E. R. Fischer, 1723)
** Carl Julius Böttcher, ''Das Leben Dr. Johann Gerhards'', 1858
** W. Gass, ''Geschichte der protestantischen Dogmatik'' (1854–1867)
** {{Cite ADB|8|767|771|Gerhard, Johann|Julius August Wagenmann|ADB:Gerhard, Johann}}
* {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Gerhard, Johann|year=1905}}

==Further reading ==
* {{BBKL|g/gerhard_j|band=2|autor= Friedrich Wilhelm Bautz|spalten=215-216}}
* [https://studiumjournal.com/author/gerhard-bio Studium Excitare: biography of Johann Gerhard] by Nathaniel J. Biebert
* [http://www.ccel.org/php/disp.php?authorID=schaff&bookID=encyc04&page=462&view=png Gerhard, Johann] ([[Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge]]), Vol. IV
* [http://cyclopedia.lcms.org/display.asp?t1=G&word=GERHARD.JOHANN Gerhard, Johann] ([[Christian Cyclopedia]])
* Erdmann Rudolph Fischer, ''The Life of John Gerhard'', translated by Richard J. Dinda and Elmer Hohle (Malone, TX: Repristination, 1999).
* [https://books.google.com/books?id=WAQ6AAAAcAAJ&dq=inauthor%3AFischer%2C%20Vita%20Gerhardi&pg=PP9 Erdmann Rudolph Fischer, ''Vita Johannis Gerhardi'' (Leipzig, 1723).]
* Glenn K. Fluegge, ''Johann Gerhard (1582–1637) and the Conceptualization of Theologia at the Threshold of the "Age of Orthodoxy": The Making of the Theologian'' (Goettingen 2018, {{ISBN|978-3-8469-0300-1}})

==External links==
* {{Librivox author |id=11056}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gerhard, Johann}}
[[Category:1582 births]]
[[Category:1637 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Quedlinburg]]
[[Category:17th-century German Lutheran clergy]]
[[Category:German Lutheran theologians]]
[[Category:German male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:Lutheran sermon writers]]
[[Category:Clergy from Saxony-Anhalt]]
[[Category:People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar]]
[[Category:17th-century writers in Latin]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the University of Jena]]
[[Category:University of Wittenberg alumni]]
[[Category:16th-century Lutheran theologians]]
[[Category:17th-century Lutheran theologians]]
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