Kraft, Friedrich Wilhelm

Kraft, Friedrich Wilhelm, a German theologian, was born at Krautheim, in the duchy of Weimar, Aug. 9, 1712, and was educated at Jena and Leipzig from 1729 to 1732. In 1739 he became pastor at Frankendorf, and in 1747 university preacher at Gottingen, holding also after this an adjunct professorship of theology in this high-school. In 1750 he removed to Dantzic as senior preacher to Mary's Church, and died there November 19, 1758. His most important works are, Schriftmassiger Beweis v. d. Ankuaft d. Messias (Leipz. 1734, 8vo): — Epistola de honore Dei per honores ministrorum ecclesice

pronovendo (Erf. 1739, 4to): — Conmentatio de pietate obstetricumn Egyptiacarum (ibid, 1744, 4to). He also published many of his sermons, some of them under the title Geistliche Reden (Jena, 1746, 8vo), and Neue theologische Bibliothek (Lpz. 1746-1758; continued by Ernesti, and later by Diderlein), which last named work evinces Kraft's extended researches in theological literature. See Doring, Gelehrte Theol. Deutschlands, ii, 176 sq.