This paper reviews Alexander von Oettingen, a Lutheran theologian from what is now Estonia, and his work, which was widely recognized in the 19th century, and his approach that is still influential today. In the background there is the tension between the religious and the secular sphere in the Christian tradition and the resistance of Martin Luther and the Reformation against the medieval unconvincing overcoming of this tension by the consolidation of the papacy and its claim to power. Since the 16th century, the Lutheran profile has had a formative role in Estonia, both politically and ecclesiastically. And even when Estonia fell politically to the predominantly orthodox tsarist Russia, the orientation towards Luther's theology remained - especially at the University of Dorpat (Tartu), which was important for the tsarist empire and where von Oettingen taught. But in the 19th century, in the German culture that stretched as far as Estonia, Martin Luther and Lutheran theology were considered outdated. In the modern world, many felt they could ignore religion. However, this did not prevent von Oettingen from intensively dealing with the modern secular instrument of statistics based on his Lutheran thinking. As a result, he developed the modern tools of statistical social analysis and presented a much-noticed "moral statistic". In this context, he not only founded the modern discipline of social ethics, but is also regarded as a pioneer of the sociology of religion and empirical social research. Furthermore, the insights gained according to his approach, for example about abortions or suicides, can provide information about the mental or religious orientation of a people. In this respect, his method is still important today, not only for politics and society, but also for the church.
| Published in | Advances in Sciences and Humanities (Volume 8, Issue 2) |
| DOI | 10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13 |
| Page(s) | 37-47 |
| Creative Commons |
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited. |
| Copyright |
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group |
Lutheranism, Estonia, Alexander von Oettingen, Social Ethics, Society, Abortion, Suicide
| [1] | Dietzel, Stefan (2013). Reinhold Seeberg als Ethiker des Sozialprotestantismus. Die ‚Christliche Ethik‘ im Kontext ihrer Zeit. Göttingen, 23ff. currently outlines the position of Reinhold Seeberg as a student of Alexander von Oettingen. |
| [2] | The death notice of the family and the Dorpat faculty can be found as an attachment to the Nordlivländische Zeitung Nr. 173 of the 8. (21.) August 1905. Surprisingly, Gruehn, Werner (1930). Oettingen, in: RGG IV2, 654, and Schott, Erdmann, (1960). Oettingen, in: RGG IV3, 1596, and Christophersen, Alf (2003). Oettingen, Alexander Konstantin v., in: RGG VI4, 460 gives the year 1906 as the year of death. Böhme, Monika (1971). Die Moralstatistik. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der Quantifizierung in der Soziologie, dargestellt an den Werken Adolphe Quetelets und Alexander von Oettingens. Köln/ Wien, 30 even the year 1903. |
| [3] | Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, ein baltischer Theologe. In: Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Aus Religion und Geschichte. Gesammelte Aufsätze und Vorträge Vol. 2, Zur Systematischen Theologie. Leipzig, 37. |
| [4] | On the Christianization of the Baltic, see e.g. Ripke, Justus Nicolaus (1883). Die Einführung der Reformation in den Baltischen Provinzen und Dr. Martin Luther’s persönliche Beziehung zu derselben. Riga, 2ff. |
| [5] | See Luthers reference to "Livonia" in his Resolutiones disputationum de indulgentiarum virtute of 1518. WA 1,571,20 (WA= Luther, Martin (1883ff.). Werke. Kritische Gesamtausgabe. Vol. 1ff. Weimar). |
| [6] | See WA 18,412. According to Ripke, Justus Nicolaus (1883). Die Einführung der Reformation, 9 the authoritative reformatory writings of 1520, i.e. "An den christlichen Adel deutscher Nation von des Christlichen standes besserung"(WA 6,404-469), "De Captivitate Babylonica Ecclesiae Praeludium Martini Lutheri."(WA 6, 497- 573) and "Von der Freyheyt eyniß Christen menschen"(WA 7, 20-38), "paved their way to all hearts longing for truth, also in Livonia." |
| [7] | WABr 3,241,17-20: "Euangelion oritur & procedit in Liuonia, presertim apud Rigenses feliciter, quorum literas ac legatum nuper suscepi; Sic mirabilis est Christus." (WABr= Luther, Martin (1930ff.). Werke. Kritische Gesamtausgabe. Briefwechsel Vol. 1ff. Weimar). |
| [8] | WA 12, 147, 7f.; 148, 3. |
| [9] | WA 12, 148, 3. |
| [10] | Salumäe, Tiit (1993). Estland, in: Andreas Rössler (Ed.), Protestantische Kirchen in Europa, Stuttgart, 50. |
| [11] | See Iserloh, Erwin (1985). Die Reformation in Osteuropa, in: Handbuch der Kirchengeschichte ed. by Hubert Jedin, Vol. IV Freiburg, 326. |
| [12] | Grüner, Viktor (1941). Luthers Livland gewidmete Schriften, in: Luther-Jahrbuch 23, 94ff. |
| [13] | WA 12, 147-150, especially WA 12, 147, 1-3: "Den Auszerwelten lieben Freunden gottis, allen Christen zu Righe, Revell und Tarbthe ynn Lieffland, meynen lieben herren und brudern ynn Christo". |
| [14] | WA 15, 360-378, especially WA 15, 360, 1-2: "Martinus Luther Allen lieben freunden ynn Christo zu Rigen und Liffland." |
| [15] | WA 18, 417-21, especially WA 18, 417, 1-3: "Allen lieben Christen ynn Lieffland sampt yhren Pharherrn und predigern." And perhaps it should also be added here that Luther was also willing to write the preface to a commentary on the Apocalypse that had been given to him by reliable Livonians (see WA 26, 123, 5). |
| [16] | Grüner, Viktor (1941). Luthers Livland gewidmete Schriften, in: Luther-Jahrbuch 23, 117. |
| [17] | Grüner, Viktor (1941). Luthers Livland gewidmete Schriften, in: Luther-Jahrbuch 23, 118. For a more detailed description of the reformatory upheaval in Livonia, see e.g. Helmsing, J. Th. (1868). Die Reformationsgeschichte Livlands in ihren Grundzügen dargestellt, Riga. |
| [18] | For further details of the adoption of the Reformation in Livonia and in the Baltic see, e.g Seraphim, Ernst (1906). Geschichte von Livland Vol. 1, Gotha, 173-222. See as well Ripke, Justus Nicolaus (1883). Die Einführung der Reformation in den Baltischen Provinzen und Dr. Martin Luther’s persönliche Beziehung zu derselben. Riga with reports on the Reformation in Riga "and Livonia (in the narrower sense)" (7ff.), in Dorpat (17ff.), in Reval "and Ehstland" (21ff.), on Oesel and Wieck (38f.) and in Kurland (39ff.). |
| [19] | Girgensohn, Josef (1927). Die Ostseeprovinzen, Leipzig/ Berlin, 15. |
| [20] | The oldest book in Estonian is considered to be the Wanradt-Koell-Katechismus of 1535. See Rebane, Liia (2018). LVCREC – VENVS – IV-DITT. Tallinner Bucheinbände zu Beginn der frühen Neuzeit. Buchbinder, Einwirkungen und Verzierungen. Helsinki, 131ff. |
| [21] | Helmsing, J. Th. (1868). Die Reformationsgeschichte Livlands in ihren Grundzügen dargestellt, Riga, 76. |
| [22] | Of the 17 writings by Luther to Livonia listed by Grüner, eight letters, most of them relating to administration or personnel, go to Riga or relate to Riga affairs (WABr 3,513/ WABr 5,124/ WABr 5,142/ WABr 5,677f./ WABr 6,166/ WABr 6,169/ WABr 8,134/ WABr 9,220). |
| [23] | See the five letters: WABr 6,88/ WABr 12,302/ WABr 6,499/ WABr 6,346/ WABr 6, 33. |
| [24] | Girgensohn, Josef (1917). Aus der Reformationszeit Alt-Livlands, Mitau, 16. |
| [25] | Köhler, Karl Franz (1866). Die lutherische Kirche in den russischen Ostseeprovinzen, Leipzig, 8ff. |
| [26] | Kahle, Wilhelm (1982). Lutherische Begegnungen im Ostseeraum, Gütersloh, 48f. |
| [27] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1873). Die Moralstatistik und die christliche Sittenlehre. Versuch einer Sozialethik auf empirischer Grundlage. Zweiter Teil: Die Christliche Sittenlehre, Erlangen, 682. |
| [28] | Barth, Karl (1945). Eine Schweizer Stimme 1938 bis 1945, Zürich, 113. |
| [29] | Stahlen, M. Henrico (1637). Anführung zu der Esthnischen Sprach. Revall (ND Tartu 20002). |
| [30] | Paul, Toomas (1994). Die Geschichte der estnischen Bibelübersetzung I Teil (XVI-XIX Jahrhundert). Tartu, 14. In the northern dialect, the New Testament was published in 1715 (16). |
| [31] | Girgensohn, Karl (1918). Die Theologische Fakultät, in: Semel Hugo (Ed.) (1918). Die Universität Dorpat (1802-1918), Dorpat, 39-50, especially 39.41. |
| [32] | Kahle, Wilhelm (1982). Lutherische Begegnungen im Ostseeraum, Gütersloh, 172f. |
| [33] | Harnack, Adolf von (1916). Aus der Friedens- und Kriegsarbeit, Giessen, 366. |
| [34] | Harnack, Adolf von (1916). Aus der Friedens- und Kriegsarbeit, Giessen, 365. However, the descriptions by Bernewitz, (Alexander Hans)(1920). Die Evangelische Kirche in baltische Landen, in: Rendtorff, Franz (Ed.) (1920). Die evangelische Diaspora, Leipzig, 34-41, especially 39 speak against this - probably only for a certain transitional period. |
| [35] | Pawlas, Andreas (1990). Zu den Einflüssen Erlanger Theologie auf das Baltische Luthertum: Alexander von Oettingens Nähe und Distanz zur Theologie J. C. K. von Hofmanns. Zeitschrift für bayerische Kirchengeschichte 59/ 1990, 199-214. |
| [36] | Merz, Georg (1959). Harnack, Theodosius, in RGG III3, 79f. |
| [37] | Köberle, Adolf (1908). Volck, Wilhelm: In: Realenzyklopädie für protestantische Theologie und Kirche, Vol. 203, Leipzig, 730–733. |
| [38] | Dietzel, Stefan (2013). Reinhold Seeberg als Ethiker des Sozialprotestantismus. Die ‚Christliche Ethik‘ im Kontext ihrer Zeit. Göttingen, 37ff. |
| [39] | Frey, Johannes (1910). Dorpat, Universität, in: RGG II1, 130ff., see further Bernewitz, (Alexander Hans)(1920). Die Evangelische Kirche in baltische Landen, in: Rendtorff, Franz (Ed.) (1920). Die evangelische Diaspora, Leipzig, 35. |
| [40] | Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 57f. For more recent work on Oettingen's theology, see e.g. Põder, Thomas-Andreas (2016). Solidarische Toleranz. Kreuzestheologie und Sozialethik bei Alexander von Oettingen, Göttingen. |
| [41] | Hasselblatt, Arnold & Otto, Gustav (1889). Album academicum der Kaiserlichen Universität Dorpat, Dorpat, 355. |
| [42] | Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 57. |
| [43] | Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 44f.; see also the reference to his piety Schrenck, Erich von (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, in: Deutscher Verein in Livland (Ed.)(1909). Aus baltischer Geistesarbeit. Reden und Aufsätze, Riga, 34-40, 38. |
| [44] | Schrenck, Erich von (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 37 states that the number of listeners sometimes rose to 800. |
| [45] | Hauptmann, Peter (1982). Dorpat, in: Müller, Gerd a.o. (Ed.) (1982). Theologische Realenzyklopädie Vol. IX, Berlin/New York, 161. |
| [46] | Seeberg, Reinhold (1903). Die Kirche Deutschlands im neunzehnten Jahrhundert. Eine Einführung in die religiösen, theologischen und kirchlichen Fragen der Gegenwart, Leipzig, 287. Much more disrespectfully and with considerably less understanding Krimmer, Heiko (1973). Empirie und Normativität. Die Ethik Alexander von Oettingens (Moralstatistik, 3. Aufl. 1882) Diss. Hamburg, 32f., reproaches Oettingen that he simply reproduces old thoughts "without really considering his own time". And ultimately, he accuses him of having “outdated theology,” whatever that means. |
| [47] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1897). Lutherische Dogmatik Vol. I, München, 458. Further differences to Philippi are to be discovered with him, above all with regard to the "Lehre von der Heilsanbahnung" (ibid. 630), "Lehre vom Urstand des Menschen" (Oettingen, Alexander von (1900). Lutherische Dogmatik Vol. II/1, München 1900, 397), "Angelologie" (ibid., 17), "Chiliasmus" (Oettingen, Alexander von (1902). Lutherische Dogmatik Vol. II/2, München, 701), "Doxologie" (ibid., 732) and in a relative appreciation of realistic conceptions of the sacraments (ibid., 401). |
| [48] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1897). Lutherische Dogmatik Vol. I, München, 452f. |
| [49] | More precisely see Pawlas, Andreas (1990). Zu den Einflüssen, 199ff. |
| [50] | Schrenck, Erich von (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 34; further see Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 34; see too Frey, Johannes (1905). Die Theologische Fakultät der Kais. Universität Dorpat Jurjew 1802-1903, Reval, 188f. |
| [51] | Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 51. Linnenbrink, Günter (1969). Die „Sozialethische Weltansicht“ Alexander von Oettingens. Ein Beitrag zur Geschichte evangelischer Sozialethik, in: Wendland Heinz-Dietrich (Ed.) (1969). Sozialethik im Umbruch der Gesellschaft, Göttingen, 183, is here certainly shifting the emphasis if he sees this alone as the reason for the later relatively low response to Oettingen's dogmatics, that is, that the "complete theologian" did not deal with the theological currents of the late 19th century. Against this the debate of Oettingen with Albrecht Ritschl and partly also with Adolf von Harnack, which runs through the entire dogmatics, should only be mentioned as an example. Even if, as Schrenck, Erich von (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 36 certainly rightly remarks, a complete "assimilation" of the latest "modern" theological thoughts may be missing in Oettingen, this has to do with the fact that Oettingen resisted a self-abandonment of the Lutheran theology to historicism and liberalism. In this sense, the conversation with his student Reinhold Seeberg is to be understood, in which Oettingen, following Mephistopheles' wellknown saying, warned him against the "hidden poison" in theology (See Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 50). |
| [52] | On this influential figure, who certainly did not find church commitment as a "Christian Socialist" without his relationship with Oettingen, see Stucken, R. (1961). Wagner, Adolph, in: HdSW Vol. 11, 470ff. |
| [53] | 2 Parts, Hamburg 1864. |
| [54] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1868). Die Moralstatistik und die christliche Sittenlehre. Versuch einer Sozialethik auf empirischer Grundlage. 1. Teil: Die Moralstatistik, Erlangen. (2. Edition: Oettingen, Alexander von (1874). Die Moralstatistik in ihrer Bedeutung für eine christliche Socialethik. Erlangen. 3. Edition: Oettingen, Alexander von (1882). Die Moralstatistik in ihrer Bedeutung für eine christliche Socialethik. Erlangen). |
| [55] | Põder, Thomas-Andreas (2016). Solidarische Toleranz, 30ff. |
| [56] | Girgensohn, Karl (1918). Die Theologische Fakultät, in: Semel, Hugo (Ed.) (1918). Die Universität Dorpat (1802-1918), Dorpat, 39-50, 44. See similar Schrenck, Erich von (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 36; but see also from the abundance of positive appraisals of his approach, e.g. Titius, (Arthur) (1930). Moralstatistik, in: RGG IV2, 207; see Titius, (Arthur) (1910). Ethik, in: RGG II1, p. 667; or see Gass, W(ilhelm) (1887). Geschichte der christlichen Ethik, Vol. II/II Berlin, 255ff. |
| [57] | Brunner, Emil (1939). Das Gebot und die Ordnungen, Zürich, 4. Edition, 92. |
| [58] | Schleiermacher, Friedrich (1811/1830). Kurze Darstellung des theologischen Studiums zum Behuf einleitender Vorlesungen entworfen, Berlin, in: Schleiermacher, Friedrich (1843). Friedrich Schleiermacher’s sämmtliche Werke, Zur Theologie Vol. I Berlin, 75. 90ff. (§195; §§232ff.); see also the reference to Schleiermacher's lectures of 1830/31 with Schneider, J(ohannes) (1931). Statistik, Kirchliche, in: RGG V2, 766. |
| [59] | Achenwall, Gottfried (1749). Abriss der neuesten Staatswissenschaften der vornehmsten europäischen Reiche und Republicken. Göttingen. On Schleiermacher's reference to the older statistical term see also Daiber, Karl-Fritz (1986). Empirische Sozialforschung, in: Fahlbusch, Erwin a.o. (Editor). Evangelisches Kirchenlexikon (3rd Edition), 1023. The outdated statistical term is also still used in the theology of Oettingen's contemporaries. See e.g. Rothe, Richard (1867/71). Theologische Ethik, 5 volumes 1867/71, Vol. IV, XIV. |
| [60] | Troeltsch, Ernst (1965). Die Soziallehren der christlichen Kirchen und Gruppen. Reprint Aalen, 597ff.; see Weber, Max (1920). Gesammelte Aufsätze zur Religionssoziologie I, Tübingen, 28; see as well Wünsch, Georg (1921). Der Zusammenbruch des Luthertums als Sozialgestaltung, Tübingen. See also recently Pannenberg, Wolfhart (1983). Anthropologie aus theologischer Perspektive, Göttingen, 12. |
| [61] | See e.g. not only Tönnies, F(erdinand) (1925). Moralstatistik, in: Elster, Ludwig, Weber, Adolf & Wieser, Friedrich (Ed.). Handwörterbuch der Staatswissenschaft Vol. 64 Jena, 639; but also Zahn, F(riedrich) (1926), Statistik (Allgemeines), in: Elster, Ludwig, Weber, Adolf & Wieser, Friedrich (Ed.). Handwörterbuch der Staatswissenschaften Vol. 74 Jena, 871. |
| [62] | Elert, Werner (1949). Das christliche Ethos. Grundlinien der lutherischen Ethik. Tübingen, 205. |
| [63] | Trillhaas, Wolfgang (1970). Ethik, Berlin 3. Edition, 346. |
| [64] | Oettingen himself refers to these objections of his opponents, specifically in: Oettingen, Alexander von (1873). Die Moralstatistik und die christliche Sittenlehre. Versuch einer Sozialethik auf empirischer Grundlage. Zweiter Teil: Die Christliche Sittenlehre, Erlangen, 19. |
| [65] | See e.g. Honecker, Martin (1975). Sozialethik, in: EStL2, 2351; Honecker, Martin (1987). Sozialethik, in: EStL3, 3192; see Schweitzer, W(olfgang) (1962). Sozialethik, in: RGG VI3, 161; See Walther, Christian (1967). Theologie und Gesellschaft. Ortsbestimmung der evangelischen Sozialethik, Zürich/ Stuttgart, 29; see Gremmels, Christian (1982). Sozialethik, Deutsches Pfarrerblatt 82, 16. |
| [66] | See e.g. Utz, Artur F. (1964). Sozialethik. Mit internationaler Bibliografie. 1. Teil: Die Prinzipien der Gesellschaftslehre, Heidelberg/ Löwen 2. Edition, 87f. |
| [67] | See the contradiction of Körtner, Ulrich H. J. (1999). Evangelische Sozialethik, Göttingen, 43 against this view in Herms, Eilert (1991). Gesellschaft gestalten. Beiträge zur evangelischen Sozialethik, Tübingen, XII. |
| [68] | See e.g. Daiber, Karl-Fritz (1987). Religionssoziologie, in: EStL3, 2976f.; see Fürstenberg Friedrich & Mörth Ingo (1979). Religionssoziologie, in: König, René (Ed.) (1979), Handbuch der empirischen Sozialforschung, Vol. 142: Religion, Bildung, Medizin. Stuttgart, 2; see Kretschmar, G(erald) (1975). Die Kirche in ihrer sozialen Gestalt, in: Ammer, Heinrich a.o. (Ed.) (1975). Handbuch der Praktischen Theologie, Vol. 1, Berlin, 69; see Matthes, Joachim (1969). Kirche und Gesellschaft. Einführung in die Religionssoziologie Vol. 2, Reinbek b. Hamburg, 42; see Maus, H(einz) (1973). Zur Vorgeschichte der empirischen Sozialforschung, in: König, René (Ed.) (1979), Handbuch der empirischen Sozialforschung, Vol. 13, Stuttgart, 31.; see Rössler, Dietrich (1986). Grundriss der Praktischen Theologie, Berlin/ New York, 93; see Savramis, Demosthenes (1977). Religionssoziologie. Eine Einführung. Bonn 2. Edition, 26. |
| [69] | Reinhold Seeberg, from his perspective caught by the "modern" and exciting point of view of historicism, even thinks: "The 'attempt at a social ethics on an empirical basis' did not succeed. You can study that in the >Christlichen Sittenlehre< 1873". (Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 53). |
| [70] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1873). Die Moralstatistik und die christliche Sittenlehre. Versuch einer Sozialethik auf empirischer Grundlage. Zweiter Teil: Die Christliche Sittenlehre, Erlangen, 681. |
| [71] | See for initial suggestions by Pawlas, Andreas (1991). Statistik und Ethik. Zur Problematik der Integration statistischer Aussagen in der Ethik, dargestellt an der Sozial- und Wirtschaftsethik Alexander von Oettingens. Frankfurt/M./ Bern/ New York/ Paris. |
| [72] | Gruehn, Werner (1927). Dorpat: II. Universität, in: RGG I2, 1992; see also the reference to Oettingen’s call to Erlangen in 1856 in: Frey, Johannes (1905). Die Theologische Fakultät, 189. |
| [73] | See the personal report in Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 54. |
| [74] | Girgensohn, Karl (1904). Noch ein Wort zur Forderung einer modernen positiven Theologie. Mitteilungen und Nachrichten für die evangelische Kirche in Russland, 465. |
| [75] | As far as the core of Luther's theology is concerned, Brunner, Emil (1939). 62 note 16, emphasizes Oettingen with regard to Luther's central understanding of his doctrine of justification, alongside Theodosius Harnack over all the other Lutherans of the 19th century. |
| [76] | So it wasn't like Ratschow, Carl Heinz (1985). Rechtfertigung. Diakritisches Prinzip des Christentums im Verhältnis zu anderen Religionen, in: EZW Texte X/1985, 2, claims that Martin Kähler was the last systematist in Germany in 1883 who tried to include "justification as the all-determining basic article of theological thinking". He didn't consider Oettingen. |
| [77] | See Seeberg, Reinhold (1909). Alexander von Oettingen, 55f. See also a similar analysis in Gruehn, Werner (1930). Oettingen, in: RGG IV, 2. Edition, 654. |
| [78] | See the analysis by Fischer, Hermann (1984). Die Ambivalenz der Moderne. Zu Troeltschs Verhältnisbestimmung von Reformation und Neuzeit. In: Renz, Horst & Graf, Friedrich Wilhelm (Ed.) (1984), Troeltsch Studien, Vol. 3, Protestantismus und Neuzeit, Gütersloh, 72ff. |
| [79] | It is to read in the death notice of the family in: Nordlivländische Zeitung Nr. 173 of the 8. (21.) August 1905: "Last night at 12 o'clock" Oettingen "fell asleep (died) gently after a short illness". |
| [80] | Seeberg, Reinhold (1905). Alexander von Oettingen, Mitteilungen und Nachrichten für die ev. Kirche in Russland, Vol. 61, 481-503, 502. |
| [81] | Ehlert, Thomas (2018). Traugott Hahn (1875-1919). Leben, Wirken, Martyrium, Spiritualität und Theologie. Erlangen, 31f. with reference to Thomsen, Erik (1954). Traugott Hahn. Ein Märtyrer der baltischen Kirche, Giessen und Basel, 25. |
| [82] | Eesti Statistika 1924, Kuukiri nr. 3, S. 12f.. Currently, the Estonian Church states: "About 11% of Estonian population are members of the EELC." (https://eelk.ee/en/our-church/ on 26.2.2022) and The Lutheran World Federation estimated 172,000 Lutheran church members in Estonia in 2011, see Lutheran World Information No. 01/2011, 9. |
| [83] | Kiivit, Jaan (1991). Rückkehr aus dem Schweigen. Die Evanglisch-Lutherische Kirche Estlands. Gedanken über die Aufgaben von morgen. In: Lutherische Kirche in der Welt. Jahrbuch des Martin-Luther-Bundes Folge 38, Erlangen, 107. |
| [84] | Oettingen does not provide any figures here, but a trend can be discerned: if Estonia is still included in the German cultural area at the time and Prussia is regarded as representative here, Oettingen, Alexander von (1868). Die Moralstatistik und die christliche Sittenlehre. Versuch einer Sozialethik auf empirischer Grundlage. 1. Teil: Die Moralstatistik, Erlangen, p. *121* Tab. 137 registers for the years 1862-65 for the whole of Prussia between 14 and 39 abortions. Based on the well over 600,000 births (from his Tab 95 p. *80* there are about 640,000 births on average for 1844-1853), which would probably be expected in the time, there could be determined an abortion rate (abortions to number of births) that would not even be in the tenths per thousand range. |
| [85] | In 1970 there were 40,663 abortions per 21,552 births, which corresponds to an abortion rate of 1890/1000 (1971: 42,256 abortions per 22,118 births, abortion rate: 1910/1000. 1972: 42,309 abortions per 21,757 births, abortion rate: 1940/1000). See https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/Lepetatud_tabelid__Rahvastik.Arhiiv__Rahvastikusündmused.%20Arhiiv/RV174/table/tableViewLayout2 on 23.2.2022 bzw. https://andmed.stat.ee/en/ stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__demograafilised-pehinaitajad/RV030/table/tableViewLayout2 on 22.02.2022. |
| [86] | See https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/Lepetatud_tabelid__Rahvastik.Arhiiv__Rahvastikusündmused.%20Arhiiv/RV174/table/tableViewLayout2 on 23.2.2022 bzw. https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__demograafilised-pehinaitajad/RV030/table/table- ViewLayout2 on 22.02.2022. |
| [87] | Haagensen, Klaus Munch (Ed.) (2013). Nordic Statistical Yearbook 2013 Vol 51, Copenhagen, 42 gives slightly less than 200 abortions per 1000 live births in Finland in 2011. |
| [88] | In 2011 there were 108,867 abortions per 662,685 live births in Germany and thus an abortion rate of 0.164= 164 abortions per 1000 live births. See https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/232/umfrage/anzahl-der-schwangerschaftsabbrueche-in-deutschland/ on 15.3.2022 and https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/161831/umfrage/gegenueberstellung-von-geburten-und-todesfaellen-in-deutschland/ on 15.3.2022. |
| [89] | Furthermore, in Estonia in 2018 there were 5,590 abortions per 14,367 births, abortion rate: 0.389. 2019: 5514 abortions per 14,099 births, abortion rate: 0.391. See https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/Lepetatud_tabelid__Rahvastik.Arhiiv__Rahvastikusündmused.%20Arhiiv/RV174/table/table- ViewLayout2 on 23.2.2022 bzw. https://andmed.stat.ee/en/stat/rahvastik__rahvastikunaitajad-ja-koosseis__demograafilised-pehinaitajad/RV030/table/tableViewLayout2 on 22.02.2022. |
| [90] | In 2017 there were 101,209 abortions per 784,901 live births in Germany and thus an abortion rate of 0.129= 129 abortions per 1000 live births. (2018: 100,986 in 787,523 live births: abortion rate 0.128/ 2019: 100,893 in 778,090 live births: abortion rate: 0.130). See https://de.statista.com/statistik/daten/studie/232/umfrage/anzahl-der-schwangerschaftsabbrueche-in-deutschland/ on 15.3.2022 und https://de.statista.com/statistik/ daten/studie/161831/umfrage/gegenueberstellung-von-geburten-und-todesfaellen-in-deutschland/ on 15.3.2022. |
| [91] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1868). Die Moralstatistik und die christliche Sittenlehre. Versuch einer Sozialethik auf empirischer Grundlage. 1. Teil: Die Moralstatistik, Erlangen, 906-943 (2. Edition 1874: 689-732/ 3. Edition 1882: 737-785). See as well Oettingen, Alexander von (1881). Ueber akuten und chronischen Selbstmord. Ein Zeitbild. Dorpat/ Fellin. |
| [92] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1868). Die Moralstatistik und die christliche Sittenlehre. Versuch einer Sozialethik auf empirischer Grundlage. 1. Teil: Die Moralstatistik, Erlangen, 909 (2. Edition: 695). |
| [93] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1881). Ueber akuten und chronischen Selbstmord, 13. |
| [94] | This thesis takes up the fact that for a long time the suicide rates in the Finno-Ugric peoples were very high. See e.g. the dates for the year 2000 of the world health organisation, in: https://apps.who.int/gho/data/node.main.MHSUICIDE?lang=en on 5.4.2022: the suicide rate of Hungary (33.4 per 100,000), of Finland (24.3 per 100,000) and of Estonia (29.1 per 100,000). |
| [95] | Oettingen, Alexander von (1881). Ueber akuten und chronischen Selbstmord, 65 notes a suicide rate for Denmark of 25.5/100,000, for Thuringia of 30.5/100,000 and for Saxony of 33.4/100,000 for the period from 1874 to 1878. |
| [96] | Data for 1970 for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania see Statistikaamet (Ed.) (1998). Eesti, Läti ja Leedu demograafiakogumik, Demographic data collection of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania 1996, Tallinn, 52 ff.; Data for 1970 and 1994 Germany see https://www.theologische-links.de/downloads/tabellen/selbstmorde_deutschland.html on 17.3.2022 and https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Querschnitt/Demografischer-Wandel/textbaustein-taser-blau-bevoelkerungszahl.html?nn=238640 on 16.3.2022 (1970: 13,046/78.100.000=16,7/ 1994: 12,718/80,400.000= 15,8). |
| [97] | Data for 1994 for Estonia, Latviaand Lithuania see Nordic Statistical Secretariat (Ed.) (1996). Yearbook of Nordic Statistics 1996 Vol 34, Århus, 326. |
| [98] | Data for 2011 and 2018 see http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=tps00122 on 16.3.2022. |
| [99] | Mehilane, L (embit) (1996). Mental Health Care Reforms in the Baltic states, Tartu, 26. |
| [100] | Perhaps the similar development of the murder rate in Estonia could also be added to this overview of figures. This rate fell from 4.73 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 to 2.26 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018. However, it must not be concealed that this rate is still more than eight times (0.54 murders per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011) or more than five times (0.4 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018) as high as in Germany. See https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/tps00146/default/table?lang=de on 14.03.2022. |
APA Style
Andreas Pawlas. (2022). On the Lutheran Tradition in Estonia - In Particular on the Social-ethical Suggestions of Alexander von Oettingen. Advances in Sciences and Humanities, 8(2), 37-47. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13
ACS Style
Andreas Pawlas. On the Lutheran Tradition in Estonia - In Particular on the Social-ethical Suggestions of Alexander von Oettingen. Adv. Sci. Humanit. 2022, 8(2), 37-47. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13
Share This Article
Twitter
Linked In
Facebook
Copy
Download@article{10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13,
author = {Andreas Pawlas},
title = {On the Lutheran Tradition in Estonia - In Particular on the Social-ethical Suggestions of Alexander von Oettingen},
journal = {Advances in Sciences and Humanities},
volume = {8},
number = {2},
pages = {37-47},
doi = {10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13},
url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13},
eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ash.20220802.13},
abstract = {This paper reviews Alexander von Oettingen, a Lutheran theologian from what is now Estonia, and his work, which was widely recognized in the 19th century, and his approach that is still influential today. In the background there is the tension between the religious and the secular sphere in the Christian tradition and the resistance of Martin Luther and the Reformation against the medieval unconvincing overcoming of this tension by the consolidation of the papacy and its claim to power. Since the 16th century, the Lutheran profile has had a formative role in Estonia, both politically and ecclesiastically. And even when Estonia fell politically to the predominantly orthodox tsarist Russia, the orientation towards Luther's theology remained - especially at the University of Dorpat (Tartu), which was important for the tsarist empire and where von Oettingen taught. But in the 19th century, in the German culture that stretched as far as Estonia, Martin Luther and Lutheran theology were considered outdated. In the modern world, many felt they could ignore religion. However, this did not prevent von Oettingen from intensively dealing with the modern secular instrument of statistics based on his Lutheran thinking. As a result, he developed the modern tools of statistical social analysis and presented a much-noticed "moral statistic". In this context, he not only founded the modern discipline of social ethics, but is also regarded as a pioneer of the sociology of religion and empirical social research. Furthermore, the insights gained according to his approach, for example about abortions or suicides, can provide information about the mental or religious orientation of a people. In this respect, his method is still important today, not only for politics and society, but also for the church.},
year = {2022}
}
TY - JOUR T1 - On the Lutheran Tradition in Estonia - In Particular on the Social-ethical Suggestions of Alexander von Oettingen AU - Andreas Pawlas Y1 - 2022/05/24 PY - 2022 N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13 DO - 10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13 T2 - Advances in Sciences and Humanities JF - Advances in Sciences and Humanities JO - Advances in Sciences and Humanities SP - 37 EP - 47 PB - Science Publishing Group SN - 2472-0984 UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20220802.13 AB - This paper reviews Alexander von Oettingen, a Lutheran theologian from what is now Estonia, and his work, which was widely recognized in the 19th century, and his approach that is still influential today. In the background there is the tension between the religious and the secular sphere in the Christian tradition and the resistance of Martin Luther and the Reformation against the medieval unconvincing overcoming of this tension by the consolidation of the papacy and its claim to power. Since the 16th century, the Lutheran profile has had a formative role in Estonia, both politically and ecclesiastically. And even when Estonia fell politically to the predominantly orthodox tsarist Russia, the orientation towards Luther's theology remained - especially at the University of Dorpat (Tartu), which was important for the tsarist empire and where von Oettingen taught. But in the 19th century, in the German culture that stretched as far as Estonia, Martin Luther and Lutheran theology were considered outdated. In the modern world, many felt they could ignore religion. However, this did not prevent von Oettingen from intensively dealing with the modern secular instrument of statistics based on his Lutheran thinking. As a result, he developed the modern tools of statistical social analysis and presented a much-noticed "moral statistic". In this context, he not only founded the modern discipline of social ethics, but is also regarded as a pioneer of the sociology of religion and empirical social research. Furthermore, the insights gained according to his approach, for example about abortions or suicides, can provide information about the mental or religious orientation of a people. In this respect, his method is still important today, not only for politics and society, but also for the church. VL - 8 IS - 2 ER -
Information
Email: