Idea Fidei Fratrum - Calvary Moravian Church

An EXPOSITION of CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE, As Taught In The Protestant Church of the UNITED BRETHREN, OR, UNITAS FRATRUM. Originally Written In German, BY AUGUST GOTTLIEB SPANGENBERG, With a Preface BY BENJAMIN LA TROBE, And An Introduction BY LANE A. SAPP
FOURTH ENGLISH EDITION WITH FOREWARD BY BISHOPS J. KENNETH PFOHL AND EDMUND SCHWARZE ALSO A Short Biography of Bishop Spangenberg Published and Distributed by
Calvary Moravian Church 600 Holly Avenue Winston-Salem, NC 27101
2005
Introduction to the 2005 Edition When I was a child, I remember seeing an engraving of an elderly gentleman
who appeared to me to have had a twinkle in his eye and a peaceful
sweetness in his smile. That picture, I discovered was found in lots of
places, in churches, in pastor's offices, in books on Moravian history and
in provincial offices. It was later in life that I learned that the
mysterious gentleman whose picture seemed to appear everywhere in the
province, was none other than Bishop August Gottlieb Spangenberg, one of
the great leaders of the Renewed Moravian Church. My grandfather first introduced me to this "man of the picture" when I
received from him a copy of Spangenberg's book of theology entitled: Idea
Fidei Fratrum: An Exposition of Christian Doctrine. Later in life, after
perusing the book and attending Moravian Theological Seminary in Bethlehem,
PA, I became so intrigued with Spangenberg's life and work in the colonial
communities of Bethlehem and Bethabara that I pursued an independent study
in the theology of Spangenberg using as my text the Idea Fidei Fratrum. Through that time of exploration, I must admit that I feel in love with
Spangenberg's work. For me, Idea Fidei Fratrum, though antiquated in
language and expression, contained the heart of the Christian message I had
uniquely come to know and understand through the Moravian Church, which is
the message of God's love, uniquely known in the incarnation of Jesus
Christ. The timeless message of the Christian gospel- Christ and Him
Crucified - is clearly communicated in the pages of his theology, and I
commend it to lay persons, theological students, clergy and educators - to
anyone searching for gems of belief that have characterized and formed the
Moravian understanding of faith. Since this treasured volume has gone out of print, and seeing that its l959
printing was a photo static copy of the original English printing and
difficult for modern readers, I began to transcribe the work over two and
half years ago on my laptop computer hoping that the volume might one day
be republished for 21st Century Moravians. Hearing about this project, a
member of the Calvary congregation, Rick Cochran, inquired as to whether he
might offer assistance with the work. Thrilled by the inquiry, I turned the
project over to Brother Cochran who has transcribed approximately 358 pages
into a modern typeface, which will make this volume more easily accessible
to modern readers. We are all in Rick's debt for the countless hours he has
spent at the keyboard preparing this new edition. I thank him, his wife
Terry and a good Methodist friend of ours, the Rev. Edwin Needham, for his
assistance in proofreading the final transcribed text from the original.
Without the energy and vision they have given to this project it would
never have come to fruition. Finally, in a day and age when we must continually be well informed about
our faith and practice, I heartily recommend Spangenberg's theology for any
who seek to understand the heart of the Moravian faith experience. As
always, may our Lord and Savior be glorified through the use of this volume
and it is to the praise of His Name that this new edition is presented for
use by Moravians and the wider Christian Church. Lane A. Sapp,
Episcopus Fratrum
FOREWARD
Third English Edition
"Idea Fidei Fratrum" - Under such title as this, the republishing of an
eighteenth century book in the spiritual interest and edification of a
generation of twentieth century Christians, living under vastly changed
conditions, would of itself appear to presage naught but failure for such
an enterprise. However, knowing something of the singularly high character
of the volume, its scriptural content and the wide and profound influence
which it exerted in years past, we who have been called to write a Foreword
for its renewed publication, esteem it a highly privileged service. We
endorse and commend the effort without reservation and wish for it God-
speed. We know of no other portion of our Heritage of the Past, in the field of
Moravian literature, which if used aright, could so deepen and strengthen
our world-wide Unity or offer surer promise of a rich Harvest of the
Future, as this book, long since lost sight of and left lying in
comparative obscurity. Neither do we have knowledge of any other volume whose republication is
more worthy of a place in the literature of the Quincentennial Period. Written by Bishop Augustus Gottlieb Spangenberg, at the urgent request
of the Brethren, and in a period of great urgency and need, this unique
book had its first publication, in the German language, in 1778, and is
said to have "found ready favor amongst laity and clergy beyond as well as
within the bounds of the Unity." There was attendant upon its use, from the
beginning, a spiritual power that gave promise of better things. In 1779 already "The Idea" appeared in a second edition, this time in
English, as translated and prefaced by Bishop Benjamin LaTrobe, a foremost
scholar and leader of our Brethren's Church in England. That this edition
was received with even wider favour is witnessed to by the fact that,
within the brief space of five years, in 1784 a second publishing and
distribution of the LaTrobe edition had taken place. "The Idea" had become
a best seller. It was of this period that Hamilton's "History of the Moravian Church"
made the following note: "Meeting with a rapid sale, the work won friends
for the Brethren in many lands, and effectually removed from them any
previously existing suspicion of heterodox faith. And in the course of
time it was translated into Danish, French, Swedish, Dutch, Bohemian and
Polish." Quite evidently, the sphere of service for "The Idea" was opening and
widening, the book was in great demand; but more meaningful still, its
concept and the way of life to which its doctrines pointed, were finding
increased approval and its high and noble purpose was beginning to bear
fruit. It was having a direct and vital effect on the religious life of
the period which was in sore need of it; for it had been characterized as
"a period of dead orthodoxy within the Protestant division of the Church
and by a strong wave of aggressive rationalism without it. The two
together had paralyzed Christian growth in grace and outreach in the spread
of the Gospel." But, with the strong impact of this singular book, under the guidance
and enlightening power of the Holy Spirit, which appeared to accompany it
wherever it went, renewed faith and hope and love, not only gave promise of
a new day, but patiently and perseveringly ushered it in, making itself
felt in all phases of the religious life of the time. We note some of the recordings in Church History of the accomplishments
of this truly remarkable book: First, Bishop Spangenberg's personal witness, he who had labored so
diligently and devoutly in its preparation. His testimony cites its
influence within the inner circle of the Unity. "I know assuredly," he
writes, "that the 'Idea' is agreeable to the mind of my Brethren, for we
have often bound ourselves solemnly to each other, to adhere with all our
hearts, to the doctrine of Christ and His apostles as we find in the
Bible." The Danish Minister of Religion, writing as one who represented
Protestantism, exclusive of our Unity, bore this witness-"Its contents
correspond with my conceptions. I have shown it to various pastors and all
have expressed their satisfaction with it." Still another, and he, "a famous philosopher at one of the leading
European universities, after complaining about modern theology, said-'I
even now prefer to read Spangenberg's Idea. Of a certainty our posterity
must get back their theology from the Moravian Brethren'." And we close our summary of remarkable testimonies of the record of "The
Idea" with these climactic observations of the biblical and well-versed
students of Church history, who have declared: "Nothing so fully established the evangelical faith of the Moravians
as the work of Spangenberg." "It restored the faith of many on whom the blight of a proud reason
had fallen and delivered Protestant Christianity of the early nine-
teenth century from the delusions of rationalism." "It saved Western Europe from infidelity." How such a work as "The Idea," so influential and widely blessed of God,
could have been lost to long generations of the Moravian Church, especially
her administrators and religious leaders, so that few volumes can now be
found, and those that still exist are to be looked for only in the unused
sections of the libra