Hess, Johann Jakob

Hess, Johann Jakob an eminent Swiss divine, was born at Zurich Oct. 21,1741, where he studied theology with his uncle, the pastor of Neftenbach, to whom he became assistant in 1760. In 1777 he was called to the church of'Notre Dame in Zurich; and in 1795 (contrary to his own wishes) he was chosen, in preference to Lavater, antistes or president of the clergy of the canton. He died May 29,1828. His long life was faithfully devoted to his work as a pastor, and to literary labor. '-Hess was to Switzerland what Reinhard was to the Saxon Church, and Storr to that of Wurtemberg. His clear and mild, yet fixed and safe convictions, as expressed in his writings on Biblical history, and especially on the life of our Lord, found a hearty reception in many a pious domestic circle in Germany, and in the soul of many a young theologian" (Hagenbach, Hist. of the Church in 18th and 19th Centuries. transl. by Hurst, 2, 409). In 1767 he published a Geschichte der drei letzten Lebensjahre Jesu (Zurich, 6 vols.). This work was adapted to the use of Roman Catholics by J. A. von Krapf (Munster, 1782, 2 vols.). Hess continued to study the subject, and wrote Jugendgeschichte Jesu (Zurich, 1773), and finally his Leben Jesu (1823, 3 vols.). His other works are Von dem Reiche. Gottes (Zurich, 1774, 2 vols.; 5th edit. 1826): — Gesch. u. Schriften der Apostel Jesu (Zurich, 1775,3 vols.; 4th ed. 1820-1822): this work was also adapted to the use of Roman Catholics (Münster, 1794, 2 vols.; 3rd ed. Salzburg, 1801): — Geschichte d. Israeliten vor d. Zeiten Jesu (Zurich, 1776-1788,12 vols.): — Gesch. — Josua (Zurich, 1779, 2 vols.): — Predigten u. d. Apostelgesch. (Zurich, 1781-1788), a collection of 50 sermons: — Ueber die Lehre, Thaten, und Schicksale unseres Herrn (Zurich, 1782j 2 vols.; 4th ed. 1817): — Gesch. David's u. Salonzo's (Zurich, 1785, 2 vols.): — Bibl. d. heiligen Gesch. (Zurich, 1791-1792, 2 vols.): — Gesch. d. Mienschen (Zurich, 1791-1792, 2 vols.; later ed. 1829): — Ueber die Volks v. Vaterlan-desliebe Jesu (Winterthur, 1794): — Der Christ bei Gefahren d. Vaterlondes, a collection of sermons (Zurich, 1799-1800, 3 vols.). See Ersch u. Gruber, Encyklopädie; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Géneralé, 24, 575.