Die Eschatologie Philipp Jakob Speners

Heike Krauter-Dierolf deals with the eschatology of Philipp Jakob Spener, the founder of Lutheran Pietism. Spener was an advocate of the postmillennial concept, the hope for better times for the temporal church, which distinguished him fundamentally from the Lutheran orthodox assumption that their generation was living in the last days prior to Christ's return. The author gives a comprehensive description and analysis of Spener's »Zukunftshoffnung«, focusing on the argument between Spener and orthodoxy in the 1690s, an argument on which up to now insufficient research had been done. In addition to numerous previously unknown and largely unexplored written polemics by orthodox and pietistic theologians, the author also presents and analyzes a large number of Spener's letters, some of which are unedited.