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62 LUTHERAN THEOLOGICAL REVIEW XII Lutheran orthodoxy which prevailed in Jena at the time. Furthermore, its most prominent professor of theology was Johann Franz Buddeus (1667- 1729), who had the reputation of leaning toward a moderate Pietism. In fact, the presence of Buddeus at the university attracted young Pietist students like Ziegenhagen in such numbers that it regained some of its earlier prominence as a centre of theological study. 17 Two years later Gotthilf Francke also enrolled in Jena to finish off his theological education. While he was there, he lived in the home of Buddeus. Like Ziegenhagen, Buddeus had originated in Pomerania while it was under Swedish control. Unlike Ziegenhagen, Buddeus first studied theology in Wittenberg. From Wittenberg, however, the student Buddeus had gone to Jena where he encountered the more moderate, less polemical form of Lutheran orthodoxy. At Jena, the student Buddeus was also introduced to Pietism in its early stages. In 1693, Buddeus accepted a call to teach moral philosophy in Halle just as the University was being formed and there became a trusted colleague and friend of Francke. In Halle, Buddeus also helped publish a history of the Bohemian Brethren, written decades earlier by John Amos Comenius (1592-1670) 18 which later caused Buddeus to have a sympathetic view of the Moravians, who branched off from Halle Pietism and claimed the Bohemian Brethren as their roots. In 1705 Buddeus returned to Jena to teach theology and it was there that Ziegenhagen came under his influence twelve years later. Ziegenhagen remained in Jena for an entire year. 19 While there he would have seen firsthand the struggles Pietism often experienced outside of Brandenburg-Prussia during the first three decades of the eighteenth century. After 1709, a series of attacks were launched by anti-Pietistic elements in Saxony-Eisenach against Buddeus for his Pietistic activities. In 1714, Duke Ernst Wilhelm of Saxony-Eisenach was persuaded by these anti-Pietistic elements to issue a directive which forbad “unauthorized and dangerous prayer meetings and conventicles”. 20 While the directive seems to have been largely disregarded by the university, the threat of legal action against those involved in Pietistic gatherings for the purpose of mutual edification constantly hung over students like Ziegenhagen. Either at Halle or Jena, Ziegenhagen experienced the type of religious awakening so important to Halle Pietists. While not providing specific details as to time and place, his biographer writes: “Already in the years during which he [Ziegenhagen] was preparing for the ministry, he was himself awakened to have an earnest sorrow for his soul, experienced the 17 Geschichte der Universitaet Jena 194. 18 Geschichte der Universitaet Jena 195. 19 Letter of Ziegenhagen to A.H. Francke, Jena, 18 July 1718. 20 Geschichte der Universitaet Jena 195-96.
THREINEN: FRIEDRICH MICHAEL ZIEGENHAGEN 63 power of the Gospel for his illumination, his peace, and his sanctification.” 21 Many young students were awakened to greater seriousness about Christianity during this period as the students banded together for mutual edification and practical study of the Bible. Ziegenhagen not only participated in such gatherings of theological students but was called upon to lead them, especially after he got to Jena. In June 1718, for example, he was leading a study over a period of weeks on “Repentance”. In typical Pietist fashion, he was concerned that he had not himself experienced enough about the subject, but trusted that God would not allow their study to be without His blessing. 22 Ziegenhagen’s time in Jena soon came to an end, and on 25 September 1718 he arrived in Linden near Hanover to accept a position as chaplain for the household of a certain Count von Platen. This position introduced Ziegenhagen to the world of the German nobility and provided him with experiences which would be crucial for his later activities in England. II The world of German and indeed European nobility to which Ziegenhagen was introduced in the employ of Count von Platen must have presented serious moral challenges to the young Pietist. The man who bore the title Count von Platen while Ziegenhagen was in his employ was somewhat loosely connected with the Electoral Court of Hanover. Franz Ernest, the first Count von Platen in Hanover (probably the father of the Count von Platen whom Ziegenhagen served) had achieved high military and political office in the court of Ernest August, Elector of Hanover (1629-1698). The Electoral Court of Ernest August had been a sumptuous affair, modelled after the French Court of Louis XIV, as were many of the European courts. It was the accepted rule of conduct that nobles had at least one mistress, a practice condoned both by the wives of the nobles and the husbands of the women involved. The mistress of Elector Ernest August had been the Countess von Platen and her semi-official position was one which was much coveted. 23 Elector Ernest August had six legitimate children, the oldest of which was George Louis (later George I of England). In 1682, twenty-one year old George Louis was married to his sixteen year old cousin Sophia Dorothea in 1682. The marriage, arranged by the first Count von Platen, 24 was soon in 21 Freylinghausen xii-xiii. 22 Letter of Ziegenhagen to A. H. Francke, Jena, 13 June 1718. 23 Alvin Redman, The House of Hanover (Toronto: Longman, Green & Co., 1960) 21. 24 Redman, 20.
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