Bahnmaier, Jonathan Friedrich

Bahnmaier, Jonathan Friedrich, a Protestant theologian, was born July 12, 1774, at Oberstenfeld, near Marbach, in Wurtemberg, where his father was minister. He studied theology at Tubingen, and assisted his father in his ministry until his death, in 1803. In 1805 he travelled on the Continent, and in 1806 was appointed to the Church at Marbach. In 1810 he removed to Ludwigsburg, and from 1815 to 1819 he was professor of theology at the University of Tubingen. Being unreasonably deprived of this position, he was appointed dean of Kirchheim, and in that office he died, Aug. 18, 1841. He wrote, De Miraculis N. Test. Meletemata (Tubingen, 1797), besides a number of sermons and ascetical works which he published; he also wrote some very fine hymns, one of which, Valte, walte, nah undfern, has been translated into English (Lyra Germ. ii, 89), "Spread, oh spread, thou mighty Word." See Winer, Handbuch der theol. Literatur, 1, 392; 2, 101, 130, 143, 159, 233, 326; Koch, Gesch. des deutschen Kirchenliedes, 7:81 sq.; Miller, Singers and Songs of the Church,' p. 354. (B.P.)