SPENER, spa'ner, PnBorr JAKort (1635 1705). A German clergyman, the founder of the German Pietists. Ile was born at Rappolts weiler, in Upper Alsace, and was educated at Strassburg, Basel, Ttibingen, Geneva, and Lyons. At Geneva he was influenced by Laba die (q.'.), and his natural disposition led him strongly toward a religion of spiritual and untheologieal type. He preached at Strassburg, was transferred to Frankfort, and in 1666 became first pastor there. Ile strove to awaken a deeper faith and more active Christian life. emphasized the necessity of conversion and regeneration, and the study of the Scriptures. in opposition to the prevalent teaching which laid stress on orthodoxy and connection with the Church, and eared more for the symbolical books than for their source. His views were set forth in his Pia Desideria, oder herxliches Verlangen flack gottgefiilliger Besse rung der mahren erangelischen Kirche (1673). In 1670 he began meetings at his house for the culti vation of evangelical morality, the so-called eollegia pietatis, with the aim, as he expressed it, of forming within the Church (eccicsia) a smaller church (eeclesiola) which should have a deeper spirituality. At the same time he reor ganized the method of catechising and improved the religious instruction given to children. In 1679 a preface which he wrote for a new edition of the Postit/e of Arndt, in which he censured the morals of the upper classes, brought him into difficulties; and in 1686 he accepted an invitation to become Court preacher at Dresden and member of the upper consistory. In this capacity he
effected changes in the theological teaching of the University of Leipzig and in the system of re ligious catechising practiced throughout Saxony; but because of attacks from the orthodox the ologians, and having fallen into disgrace with the Elector Johann Georg TIT., in 1691 he went to Berlin as provost of the Church of Saint Nicholas and eonsistorial inspector, offices which he retained till his death. The Elector of Bran denburg encouraged his efforts for religious re form and intrusted theological instruction in the new University of Halle to Franeke, Breithaupt, and others of his disciples. In 1695 the theo logical faculty of Wittenberg formally censured as heretical 264 propositions drawn from Speller's writings. There is no collected edition of his works; the full list ( ISO in number) is given in his biography by Von Caustein 1 Halle. 1740), and his chief works have been edited by Gran berg (Gotha, 1889). Consult also the lives by llossbach (Berlin, 1828; 3d ed. by Schweder, 1861), by Wildenhahn (Leipzig. 1812; Eng. trans., Philadelphia. 1881). and by Griinberg (Gdttingen, 1892-97). See PIETISM; GERMAN THEOLOGY.