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{{Short description|German theologian and church historian (1789–1850)}}
 
[[File:August Neander.jpg|thumb|August Neander]]
 
'''Johann August Wilhelm Neander''' (January 17, January 1789{{snd}}July 14, July 1850), was a German [[theology|theologian]] and church historian.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bennett|first=Joshua|title=August Neander and the Religion of History in the Nineteenth-Century 'priesthood of Letters'|date=2020|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/historical-journal/article/august-neander-and-the-religion-of-history-in-the-nineteenthcentury-priesthood-of-letters/323B8F61E9376B3C52D1798D58A18649|journal=The Historical Journal|language=en|volume=63|issue=3|pages=633–659|doi=10.1017/S0018246X19000645|s2cid=213324484|issn=0018-246X}}</ref>
 
==Biography==
Neander was born atin [[Göttingen]] as '''David Mendel'''. His father, Emmanuel Mendel, iswas said to have been a [[Jew]]ish pedlar,[[peddler]].<ref butname="Jew August adoptedin the namePew website">[https://www.jewinthepew.org/2015/01/17/17-janaury-1789-birth-of-david-mendel-auguste-neander-onthisday-otdimjh/ NeanderJew onin histhe baptismPew as a [[Protestantism|Protestant Christianwebsite]].</ref> While still very young, his parents separated and he moved with his mother to [[Hamburg]]. FromAfter thecompleting [[grammar school]] (''Johanneum''), he passedenrolled toin thea [[gymnasium (school)|gymnasium]], where thehe study ofdiscovered [[Plato]] appears especially to have engrossed him. ConsiderableSome interest attaches toof his earlyfellow companionshipstudents withincluded [[Wilhelm Neumann]] and certain others, among whom were the writer [[Karl August Varnhagen von Ense]], and the poet [[Adelbert von Chamisso]].<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=y|wstitle=Neander, Johann August Wilhelm|volume=19|page=321}}</ref>
 
== Biblical conversionConversion from Judaism to Christianity ==▼
Baptized on February 25, 1806, Neander went to [[University of Halle|Halle]] to study divinity at the age of 17. [[Friedrich Schleiermacher]] was then lecturing at Halle. Neander found in him the inspiration he needed, while Schleiermacher found a congenial pupil; one destined to propagate his views in a higher and more effective Christian form. Before the end of that year, the events of the [[War of the Fourth Coalition]] forced Neander to move to [[University of Göttingen|Göttingen]]. There he continued his studies, made himself an expert on Plato and [[Plutarch]], and became especially advanced in theology under the venerable [[Gottlieb Jakob Planck|GJ Planck]]. The impulse communicated by Schleiermacher was confirmed by Planck, and Neander seems now to have realized that the original investigation of Christian history was to form the great work of his life.<ref name="EB1911"/>▼
 
TheNeander's conversion of Augustus Neander from Judaism to Christianity was the singlelargest most important eventchange in his life, and had a largeheavy impact upon both himself and his writing. Neander, along with his brothers and sisters, followed later by their mother, eventually left the synagogue and embraced Christianity. In his own personal conversion, Neander was especially influenced by the [[Apostle John]], due to the similarity in the sentiment of John's writings to thatthose of Neander's beloved Plato.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hogg|first=James|year=1851|title=Portrait Gallery - Neander - Second Paper|journal=Hogg's Instructor|volume=7|pages=409–410|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=":0" />▼
Having finished his university course, he returned to Hamburg, and passed his examination for the Christian ministry. After an interval of about eighteen months, however, he decided on an academic career, which began at [[Heidelberg]], where two vacancies had occurred in the theological faculty of the university. He went there as a teacher of theology in 1811 and in 1812 he became a professor. In the same year (1812) he published his monograph ''Über den Kaiser [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]]us und sein Zeitalter''. The fresh insight into the history of the church evinced by this work drew attention to its author, and even before he had terminated the first year of his academical labours at Heidelberg, he was called to [[University of Berlin|Berlin]], where he was appointed professor of Theology.<ref name="EB1911"/> His pupils included [[Edmond de Pressensé]].
 
Neander's conversion has been likened to the conversion of [[Saint Paul]] of Tarsus,<ref name=":0" /> due to the impact that his new faith had on his person, his work, his relationship with his students, and his attitude toward church history.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Smith|first=H.B.|year=1869|title=Neander's Last Birthday|journal=Hours at Home: Popular Monthly of Instruction and Recreation|pages=346–352|via=Google Books}}</ref>
In the year following his appointment he published a second monograph ''Der Heilige Bernhard und sein Zeitalter'' (Berlin, 1813) and then in 1818 his work on [[Gnosticism]] (''Genetische Entwickelung der vornehmsten gnostischen Systeme''). A still more extended and elaborate monograph than either of the preceding followed in 1822, ''Der Heilige [[John Chrysostom|Johannes Chrysostomus]] und die Kirche besonders des Orients in dessen Zeitalter'', and again, in 1824 another on [[Tertullian]] (''Antignostikus''). He had in the meantime begun his great work, to which these efforts were only preparatory studies. The first volume of his ''Allgemeine Geschichte der christlichen Religion und Kirche'' embracing the history of the first three centuries, made it appearance in 1825. The others followed at intervals—the fifth, which appeared in 1842, bringing down the narrative to the pontificate of Boniface VIII. A posthumous volume edited by CFT Schneider in 1852, carried it on to the period of the council of Basel.<ref name="EB1911"/>
 
He was baptized on 25 February 1806 at the age of 17 and adopted the name of Neander, or "new man" on becoming a [[Protestantism|Protestant Christian]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=CONVERTS TO CHRISTIANITY, MODERN - JewishEncyclopedia.com|url=https://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/4636-converts-to-christianity-modern|access-date=2021-04-29|website=www.jewishencyclopedia.com}}</ref>
Aside from this work, he published in 1832 his ''Geschichte der Pflanzung und Leitung der christlichen Kirche durch die Apostel'', and in 1837 his ''Das Leben Jesu Christi, in seinem geschichilichen Zusammenhang und seiner geschichtlichen Entwickelung'', called forth by the famous ''Das Leben Jesu'' of [[David Strauss]]. In addition to all these he published ''Denkwürdigkeiten aus der Geschichte des Christentums'' (1823-1824, 2 vols., 1825, 3 vols., 1846); ''Das Eine und Mannichfaltige des christlichen Lebens'' (1840); papers on [[Plotinus]], [[Thomas Aquinas]], [[Theobald Thamer]], [[Blaise Pascal]], [[John Henry Newman]], [[Joseph Blanco White|Blanco White]] and [[Thomas Arnold]], and other occasional pieces (''Kleine Gelegenheitsschriften'', 1829), mainly of a practical, exegetical and historical character.<ref name="EB1911"/> Several of his books went through multiple editions and were translated into English.
 
==Studies==
▲BaptizedNeander onstudied Februarydivinity 25,at 1806, Neander went tothe [[University of Halle|Halle]] to study divinity at the age of 17.under [[Friedrich Schleiermacher]] was then lecturing at Halle. Neander found in him the inspiration he needed, while Schleiermacher found a congenial pupil; one destined to propagate his views in a higher and more effective Christian form. Before the end of thathis first year year, the events of the [[War of the Fourth Coalition]] forced Neander to move to [[University of Göttingen|Göttingen]]. Therewhere he continued his studies, madespecialising himself an expert onin Plato and [[Plutarch]], and became especially advanced instudying theology under the venerable [[Gottlieb Jakob Planck|GJ Planck]]. TheAt impulsethis communicated by Schleiermacher was confirmed by Planck, andpoint Neander seems now to have realizeddecided that the original investigation of Christian history was towould form the great work of his life.<ref name="EB1911"/>
 
After university, he returned to Hamburg and passed his examination for the Christian ministry. However, after eighteen months, he decided on an academic career at [[Heidelberg]] where two vacancies had occurred in the theological faculty of the university. He became a teacher of theology in 1811 and became a professor the following year.
 
==Writings==
At this time, Neander published his first monograph, ''Über den Kaiser [[Julian the Apostate|Julian]]us und sein Zeitalter''. The following year he was called to [[University of Berlin]], where he was appointed Professor of Theology.<ref name="EB1911"/> His pupils included [[Edmond de Pressensé]].
 
He published a second monograph, ''Der Heilige Bernhard und sein Zeitalter'' in 1813, and a third [[Gnosticism]] in 1818 (''Genetische Entwickelung der vornehmsten gnostischen Systeme''). A more extended monograph followed in 1822, ''Der Heilige [[John Chrysostom|Johannes Chrysostomus]] und die Kirche besonders des Orients in dessen Zeitalter'', with one on [[Tertullian]] in 1824 (''Antignostikus''). In 1824 he also cofounded the [[Berlin Missionary Society]] with [[Ludwig Friedrich Leopold von Gerlach]], [[August von Bethmann-Hollweg]] and others in Berlin.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Zöllner |first1=Linda |last2=Heese |first2=J.A. |title=The Berlin Missionaries in South Africa and their Descendants |date=1984 |publisher=Human Sciences Research Council, Institute for Historial Research |location=Pretoria |isbn=0796900108 |page=14 |ref=Zollner}}</ref>
 
Neander began his work on Christian history in 1824 and published the first volume of ''Allgemeine Geschichte der christlichen Religion und Kirche'' in 1825. The other volumes followed at intervals with the fifth in 1842, focusing on the period of [[Boniface VIII]]. A posthumous volume published in 1852, finished with the period of the [[Council of Basel]].<ref name="EB1911" />
 
While working on these volumes, Neander also published several other books including;
 
* Geschichte der Pflanzung und Leitung der christlichen Kirche durch die Apostel (1832)
* Das Leben Jesu Christi, in seinem geschichilichen Zusammenhang und seiner geschichtlichen Entwickelung (1837) (after Das Leben Jesu of [[David Strauss]]).
* Denkwürdigkeiten aus der Geschichte des Christentums (1823-1824, 2 vols., 1825, 3 vols., 1846)
* Das Eine und Mannichfaltige des christlichen Lebens (1840)
* Various papers on [[Plotinus]], [[Thomas Aquinas]], [[Theobald Thamer]], [[Blaise Pascal]], [[John Henry Newman]], [[Joseph Blanco White|Blanco White]] and [[Thomas Arnold]], and other occasional pieces (''Kleine Gelegenheitsschriften'', 1829).<ref name="EB1911" />
 
Several of his books went through multiple editions and were translated into English.
 
==Death==
[[File:Berlin, Kreuzberg, Zossener Strasse, Friedhof I Jerusalems- und Neue Kirche, Grab August Neander.jpg|right|thumb|Gravesite of August Neander at Friedhof I Jerusalems- und Neue Kirche in Berlin-Kreuzberg]]
HeNeander died in Berlin on 14 July 1850, worn out and nearly blind. withHe incessantdied studywhilst dictating a page of his General history.<ref name="Jew in the Pew website"/>

His grave is preserved in the [[Protestant]] ''Friedhof I der Jerusalems - und Neuen Kirchengemeinde'' (Cemetery No. I of the congregations of [[Jerusalem's Church]] and [[Deutscher Dom|New Church]]) in [[Kreuzberg|Berlin-Kreuzberg]], south of [[Hallesches Tor (Berlin U-Bahn)|Hallesches Tor]].

After his death, a succession of volumes, representing his various courses of lectures, appeared (1856–18641856-1864){{Where|date=November 2022}}, in addition to the Lectures on the ''History of Dogma'' (''Theologische Vorlesungen''), admirable in spirit and execution, which were edited by J. L. Jacobi in 1857.<ref name="EB1911"/>
 
[[File:Befürwortung Neander Heußinger 1850.jpg|thumb|Neander's own handwritten letter]]
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=== People ===
Shortly after Neander's personalbirth, influenceshis beganmother firstEsther anddivorced foremosther withinhusband hisand ownmoved the family. Histo fatherHamburg didwhere notthey haveexperienced a verygreat positivedeal influenceof in young Neander's lifepoverty.<ref name=":0">{{Cite book|title=Saint Augustin, Melancthon, Neander: Three Biographies|last=Schaff|first=Philip|publisher=Funk & Wagnalis Publishers|year=1886|location=New York|pages=133|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Germany: Its Universities, Theology, and Religion; With Sketches of Neander, Tholuck, Olsausen, Hengstenberg, Twesten, Nitzsch, Muller, Ullmann, Rothe, Dorner, Lange, Ebrard, Wichern, and Other Distinguished German Devines of the Age.|last=Schaff|first=Philip|publisher=Lindsay and Blakiston|year=1857|location=Philadelphia|pages=262|via=Google Books}}</ref> Shortly after Neander's birth, his mother Esther divorced from her worthless husband and removed the whole family to Hamburg. Esther Mendel struggled on a daily basis to support her children financially. As a result, the family experienced a great deal of poverty. However, Neander cherished this period in his life, and described it in endearing terms as “men in all ages who…have been indebted to their pious mothers” for planting the seeds of faith in their hearts.<ref>{{Cite book|title=History of the Planting and Training of the Christian Church|last=Neander|first=Augustus|publisher=Crocker & Brewster|year=1854|pages=217|via=Google Books}}</ref> This period in Neander's life assuredly had a profound effect on both his personal faith, and his attitude towards life in general. Neander was often described as ‘wide-hearted’, ‘truthful’, ‘sincere’, ‘free from all the stuff of vanity’, ‘affectionate’, ‘innocent and pure of heart’.<ref>{{Cite journal|year=1851|title=Recollections of Neander|journal=Littell's Living Age|volume=30|pages=163–69|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Hogg|first=James|year=1851|title=Portrait Gallery - Neander - Second Paper|journal=Hogg's Instructor|volume=7|pages=410|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Saint Augustin, Melancthon, Neander: Three Biographies|last=Schaff|first=Philip|publisher=Funk & Wagnalis Publishers|year=1886|pages=138|via=Google Books}}</ref> This personal quality was most certainly received through his mother's influence. To what degree these influences affected the writings of Neander has not yet been established in the literature.
 
This period in Neander's life had a profound effect on both his personal faith and his attitude towards life in general. Neander was often described as ‘wide-hearted’, ‘truthful’, ‘sincere’, ‘free from all the stuff of vanity’, ‘affectionate’, ‘innocent and pure of heart’.<ref>{{Cite journal|year=1851|title=Recollections of Neander|journal=Littell's Living Age|volume=30|pages=163–69|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite journal|last=Hogg|first=James|year=1851|title=Portrait Gallery - Neander - Second Paper|journal=Hogg's Instructor|volume=7|pages=410|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=Saint Augustin, Melancthon, Neander: Three Biographies|last=Schaff|first=Philip|publisher=Funk & Wagnalis Publishers|year=1886|pages=138|via=Google Books}}</ref>
Neander was most indebted to his teacher and later his friend and colleague Schleiermacher, of whom similar sentiments are evident in his perceived purpose of recording church history.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Church History: An Introduction to Research, Reference Works and Methods|last=Bradley & Muller|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|year=2016|location=Grand Rapids, MI|pages=17}}</ref> <blockquote>“To exhibit the history of the church of Christ, as a living witness of the divine power of Christianity; as a school of Christian experience; a voice, a sounding through the ages, of instruction, of doctrine, and of reproof, for all who are disposed to listen.”<ref>{{Cite book|title=General History of the Christian Religion and Church. Translated From the Second and Improved Edition by Joseph Torrey. Volume First|last=Neander|first=Augustus|publisher=Crocker & Brewster|year=1854|pages=16|via=Google Books}}</ref></blockquote>Schleiermacher's attitude towards history undoubtedly influenced that of his student and colleague, which in turn would have also influenced Neander's work.▼
 
▲Neander was mostfelt indebted to his teacher and later his friend and colleague Schleiermacher, of whom similar sentiments are evident in his perceived purpose of recording church history.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Church History: An Introduction to Research, Reference Works and Methods|last=Bradley & Muller|publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing|year=2016|location=Grand Rapids, MI|pages=17}}</ref> <blockquote>“To exhibit the history of the church of Christ, as a living witness of the divine power of Christianity; as a school of Christian experience; a voice, a sounding through the ages, of instruction, of doctrine, and of reproof, for all who are disposed to listen.”<ref>{{Cite book|title=General History of the Christian Religion and Church. Translated From the Second and Improved Edition by Joseph Torrey. Volume First|last=Neander|first=Augustus|publisher=Crocker & Brewster|year=1854|pages=16|via=Google Books}}</ref></blockquote>Schleiermacher's attitude towards history undoubtedly influenced that of his student and colleague, which in turn would have also influenced Neander's work.
▲== Biblical conversion from Judaism to Christianity ==
 
▲The conversion of Augustus Neander from Judaism to Christianity was the single most important event in his life, and had a large impact upon both himself and his writing. Neander, along with his brothers and sisters, followed later by their mother, eventually left the synagogue and embraced Christianity. In his own personal conversion, Neander was especially influenced by the Apostle John, due to the similarity in the sentiment of John's writings to that of Neander's beloved Plato.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Hogg|first=James|year=1851|title=Portrait Gallery - Neander - Second Paper|journal=Hogg's Instructor|volume=7|pages=409–410|via=Google Books}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
 
Neander's conversion has often been likened to the conversion of Saint Paul of Tarsus. While his transition from Judaism to Christianity was far less abrupt than that of his predecessor, he is thought to resemble the Apostle Paul in other ways. Neander's purity of motive, the strength of his conviction, his unselfish devotion to Christianity, and his similar zeal for freedom from a life of legalism are all aspects of Paul's character that are reflected in the character of Neander.<ref name=":0" /> His conversion had a profound impact on his work and gave rise to an incredible conviction of the importance of faith, and is also considered to be one of the most sincere and intelligent events of his life. The impact that it had on both his person and his work was evident in his passion for the Lord, his relationship with his students, and his attitude towards church history.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Smith|first=H.B.|year=1869|title=Neander's Last Birthday|journal=Hours at Home: Popular Monthly of Instruction and Recreation|pages=346–352|via=Google Books}}</ref>
 
== Church history ==
HisNeander's principal work was the ''General History of the Christian Religion and Church'' (''Allgemeine Geschichte der christlichen Religion und Kirche'') remains the greatest monument of his genius. InEach thisvolume Neander'scontrasted chiefan aim was everywhere to understand what was individual in history. In the principal figuresera of ecclesiastical history he tried to depictwith the representativechurch tendenciesin ofNeander's eachown age, and also the types of the essential tendencies of human nature generallytime.

His guiding principle in dealing both with the history and with the presentcontemporary condition of the church was "that Christianity has room for the various tendencies of human nature, and aims at permeating and glorifying them all; that according to the divine plan these various tendencies are to occur successively and simultaneously and to counterbalance each other, so that the freedom and variety of the development of the spiritual life ought not to be forced into a single dogmatic form" ([[Otto Pfleiderer]]).<ref name="EB1911"/>
 
== References ==
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==External links==
* [https://archive.org/search.php?query=creator%3A%22Neander%2C+August%2C+1789-1850%22 Works Archive.org]
 
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[[Category:German people of Jewish descent]]
[[Category:German Protestants]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Heidelberg University faculty]]
[[Category:Academic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin faculty]]
[[Category:University of Halle alumni]]
[[Category:PeopleWriters from Göttingen]]
[[Category:People from the Electorate of Hanover]]
[[Category:Writers from Hamburg]]
[[Category:German male non-fiction writers]]
[[Category:19th-century German male writers]]
[[Category:Messianic Jews]]
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