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Johann Wilhelm Baier | |
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| Born | (1647-11-11)11 November 1647 |
| Died | 19 October 1695(1695-10-19) (aged 47) |
| Citizenship | Germany |
| Education | University of Altdorf |
Johann Wilhelm Baier (11 November 1647 – 19 October 1695) was a German theologian in theLutheran scholastic tradition. He was born atNuremberg, and died atWeimar.
He studiedphilology, especially Oriental, andphilosophy atAltdorf from 1664 to 1669, in which year he went toJena and became a disciple of the celebratedJohannes Musäus, the representative of the middle party in theSyncretistic Controversy, whose daughter he married in 1674. Taking his doctor’s degree the same year, in 1675 he became professor ofchurch history at the university, and lectured with great success on several different branches of theology.
In 1682 he was chosen to represent theProtestant side in the negotiations with thepapal legateNicolas Steno,bishop of Titiopolis, for reunion of the Churches. He was three timesrector atJena before he was called by theelectorFrederick III, in 1694, as professor and provisional rector to the newuniversity of Halle. Here his devotion to strictorthodoxy brought him into conflict with some of his colleagues, and thepietistic movement also gave him trouble, so that after a year he was glad to accept the combined positions ofchief court preacher,superintendent, andpastor atWeimar — which, however, he held only a few months until his death.
He left a name in the history of theology, especially by his dogmatic compendium, which still preserves the early Protestant traditions amongHigh Lutherans, especially in America. The Jena theologians, andJohannes Musaeus in particular, had been asked byErnest the Pious to draw up such a work, to take the place of the antiquatedHutter, and Musæus urged his son-in-law to do it. The first edition appeared in 1686, the second, enlarged, in 1691, and it has been frequently reprinted since. It was commended for general use as a textbook by its method, its conciseness, and its absence of mere polemics. It was obviously, however, intended by its author as a vindication of the Jena theology, which had been sharply attacked from Wittenberg, and lay under some suspicion ofsyncretism. Its dependence upon Musæus is really the distinguishing feature of the book, which is largely a compilation from him. Baier’s other works include polemical writings againstErbermann, a convert toRoman Catholicism and aJesuit, and against theQuakers; and three othercompendiums, published after his death (1698), one of exegetical, and one of moral theology, as well as one of the history of dogma. His read significance lies in the fact that he handed on and popularized the theology of Musæus; and his work was continued byBuddeus, whom he left at Halle as professor of moral philosophy.
This article incorporates text from a publication in thepublic domain: Jackson, Samuel Macauley, ed. (1914).New Schaff–Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge (third ed.). London and New York: Funk and Wagnalls.
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