Volume 5-1

On the death of a hero and negligence of servants: Duke Magnus of Württemberg in the mirror of a posthumous investigation (1622)

Prokopiev, A. Yu., Lurie, Z. A., O gibeli geroya i neradivosti slug: Gertsog Magnus Vyurtembergskiy v zerkale posmertnogo rassledovaniya (1622 g.) [On the death of a hero and negligence of servants: Duke Magnus of Württemberg in the mirror of a posthumous investigation (1622)], in: Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture, 2019. Vol. 5 (1). P. 36–71.

Andrey Yur’evich Prokopiev, doctor of History, professor, Saint-Petersburg State University (199034, Rossiya, Sankt-Peterburg, Universitetskaya nab., 7/9)

Zinaida Andreevna Lurie, doctor of History, assistant lecturer, Faculty of foreign languages, Saint-Petersburg State University (199034, Rossiya, Sankt-Peterburg, Universitetskaya nab., 7/9)

Language: Russian

The article focuses on the phenomenon of the birth of a «hero» and «heroic myth» analyzing the example of the Duke Magnus of Württemberg (1594–1622). The younger brother of the ruling Duke of Württemberg Magnus died in the battle of Wimpfen on May 6, 1622, fighting on the side of the Protestant forces against the army of the Catholic League. The circumstances of his death prompted an investigation into the circle of the duke’s closest servants. From the results of this investigation, as well as from the reviews of contemporaries, the image of the sovereign martyr, one of the first in Protestant Germany during the Thirty Years War arose. What was the component of this myth? What were the main accents? What was the strategy of dynastic legitimation of the ruling House of Württemberg? How typical was the portrait of the hero in comparison with subsequent cults, especially the Swedish king Gustav Adolf, who died near Lutzen in 1632? To answer these questions the fund of unpublished documents from the main state archive of Stuttgart was used.
The article was written as part of the RFBR project «Europe in the era of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation: diplomatic correspondence of European courts of the 16th – first half of the 17th centuries» (17-01-00121-OGN).

Key Words: Württemberg, Thirty Years War, Magnus of Württemberg, nobility, Holy Roman Empire, Germany

URL: http://proslogion.ru/51-prokopiev/

Creative Commons License


download PDF


HTML

J. Prayer in Johann Gerhard’s «Loci»

Pihkala, J. Molitva v «Loci» Ioganna Gerkharda [Prayer in Johann Gerhard’s «Loci»], in: Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture,2019. Vol. 5 (1). P. 26–35.

Juha Pihkala, Doctor in theology, docent of dogmatics, University of Helsinki (Universitetsgatan, 4, Helsingfors, Finland, 00100)

Language: Russian

Christian tradition during its history and in all of its forms has produced huge amount of written liturgical prayer-texts, so also the Western tradition to which Lutheran churches belong. It is therefore interesting to look how this practical spiritual reality can be seen in dogmatical texts.
This essay is searching Johan Gerhard’s monumental dogmatic Loci theologici (1610–1621) and picks up those parts of the work that speak about prayer. The purpose here is to analyse Gerhard’s theology of prayer.
The analysis in this essay reveals — at first — that the vast amount of text in the work speaks very little and very rarely of prayer. There is no definition of prayer and no clearly articulated theology of prayer. Gerhard writes objectively and – naturally according to the norms of his time — a strict scientific text. As such the feeling is not at all emotional and especially spiritual.
Secondly — and this is essential — every locus ends with a short practical application, at the end of which there is a doxology. In these short passages, the text flashes out the practical piety, also prayer. Spirituality and prayer are as subjective elements seemingly outside of the text, but whole time alongside the text, in fact all the time between its lines. The doctrinal theology is only for spiritual practice and lives only because of personal and subjective dialog with God — which just is prayer.

Key Words: Lutheran orthodoxy, Lutheranism, dogmatics, Johann Arndt

URL: http://proslogion.ru/51-pihkala/

Creative Commons License


download PDF


HTML

Stahl, R. Martin Luther as Translator of the Bible

Stahl, R. Martin Luther as Translator of the Bible, Proslogion: Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Social History and Culture 2019. Vol. 5 (1). P. 7–25.

Rainer Stahl, retired general secretary of Martin Luther Bund (D-91056, Germany, Erlangen, Habichtstrasse 14 A)

Language: English

The existing German translations of the Bible were in regional German dialects or in a poor German and only from the Vulgata. Therefore, Martin Luther started in the beginning of 1522 with the translation of the New Testament, which was
published in September 1522. But he and his colleagues managed the translation of the Old Testament in a long lasting process from 1522 to 1534. The basis of these translation works were original textual editions of the Bible. This translation work went further the Latin Bible to the original texts in Greek and in Hebrew. On that basis he and his colleagues searched for most appropriate und clear formulae. One example, the comment on «Magnificat» (Luke 1:28), where Luther expressed a new understanding of Mary, is discussed in the article.
Then the paper describes the distinctions between Law and Gospel, Letter and Spirit and the Two Kingdoms by God, and it looks to Romans 3:28, where Luther adds the word «allein» / «alone» which is not in the Greek text. Finally translation problems of Genesis 1:26.27 as well as of Matthew 6:13a and Luke 11:4c are dicussed and of how Martin Luther has influenced the development of the German language.

Key Words: Law and Gospel, Letter and Spirit, Two Kingdoms, Magnificat, Romans 3:28, the Lord’s Prayer

URL: http://proslogion.ru/51-stahl/

Creative Commons License


download PDF


HTML