Spangenberg, Augustus Gottlieb

Spangenberg, Augustus Gottlieb a bishop of the Moravian Brotherhood, was born at Klettenberg, Hanover, July 15, 1704. In 1722 he entered the University of Jena as a student of law, but he soon gave up this pursuit to devote himself to the study of theology. The famous Buddeus was his professor, and he devoted all his energies to his theological studies, to such a degree that he was allowed to lecture from 1726 to 1732 on theological topics. In 1727 he made the acquaintance of count Zinzendorf and the Moravians, and in 1735 we see Spangenberg at Herrnhut, where he began a very useful work as assistant minister. For many years he fulfilled the most important duties for the Brethren by visiting their churches in North America, the West Indies, and in England, confirming them in the faith. In 1744 he was ordained Moravian bishop at Herrnhut, and in 1762, after Zinzendorf's death, he became his successor as bishop of Barby, where he died, Sept. 18, 1792. He was a man of great piety and talent. Knapp calls him the "Melancthon of the Brethren." Spangenberg wrote, Idea Fidei Fratrum (Barby, 1779): Leben des Grafen Zinzendorf (ibid. 1772-75). He also contributed to German hymnology. Thus he wrote the beautiful hymn Die Kirche Christi, die Er geweiht (Eng. transl. in Lyra Germ. 2, 87, "The Church of Christ that he hath hallow'd here"): — Heil'ge Einfalt, Gnadenwunder (Eng. transl. in Moravian Hymn book, No. 504," When simplicity we cherish"). See Zuchold, Bibl. Theol. 2, 1234; — Theol. Universal-Lexikon, s.v.; Koch, Gesch. d. deutschen Kirchenliedes, 5, 337 sq.; Ledderhose, Das Leben Spangenberg's (Heidelberg, 1846); Nitzsch, Spangenberg's Biographie, in Piper's Evangel. Kalender, 1855, p. 197-208; Thilo, Cithara Lutheri (Berlin, 1855). (B.P.)