Arnold Gottfrid (3 results)

Leather. Condition: NEAR FINE. First Edition. First Edition, two volumes bound in one: 1: Jahr Christi bis 1499; 2: Von Anno 1500 bis 1688. [21], 2-411, [3], 3-695, [38], RFEP perished. Folio in 4's, 9x14'. In contemporary vellum with hand-written spine title in a fine hand. Dual-column text in Fraktur script with endnotes in Roman font. . A remarkable work of vast erudition and deep courage, Arnold's study of heterodoxy and heresy was a leap forward in the history of theology in and a seminal text of the German Enlightenment. It was beloved by figures such as Goethe and Tolstoy, who dubbed it a 'remarkable, although little known book' in *The Kingdom of God is Within You*. Arnold's 'Non-Partisan History of the Church and Heretics' charts a revisionist history of marginal figures in Christian history, from Origen and Arius to Socinius and Boehme, seeking to unveil a secret history of personal and experiential mysticism as the true heart of Christianity. 'G. Arnold?s Impartial History of the Church and of Heretics (1699-1700) offered a radical-pietist view of church history, originating from Lutheranism. With its fundamental criticism of the church as an instrument of power, it deprived confessional ?partial? historiography of its foundations. Arnold insisted on the rehabilitation of persecuted and oppressed minorities. His work not only promoted the debate on the dependence of historiography on the historian?s particular standpoint, but over a long period of time also inspired advocates and critics of a tolerant Christianity based on individual religious convictions. The work bears witness to the contribution of Pietism to the modern subjectivation and individualization of faith and religion. . the *Unparteyische Historie* had a lasting impact on the development of church historiography in the field of tension between confessional Christianity, Pietism, and the Enlightenment movement. Conceived as a paradoxical 'alternative church history,' the work profoundly challenged the confessional concept of heresy and thus the mechanisms of exclusion and demarcation practiced by the institutional churches in the name of exclusive truth claims.' (Hans-Martin Kirn, NTT Journal for Theology and the Study of Religion 74.3) For their part, McClintock & Strong remark, 'This 'Impartial hisotyr' was the first written in German instead of Latin. It makes personal piety the central idea of Christianity. But, while bent on showing fair play, as no historian before had done, to all sorts of heretics and schismatics, particularly to the Mystics, for whom he had a special predilection, Arnold fell into the most gross wrong toward the representatives of orthodoxy, ascribing to them the basest motives, and aspersing their character in every possible way. . The number of works published against Arnold is very large.'.

Franckfurt am Mayn, Thomas Fritsch, 1700. Folio. Bound in one contemp. full calf. Spine worn. lacks leather at upper compartment and wear to lower compartment. Corners bumped and worn. (20),411:695,(36) pp. Woodcut on titlepage. A few scattered brownspots. A faint dampstain to lower margins on a few leaves. Oth3rwise internally fine. Scarce second edition of Arnold's influential "Impartial History of the Church and of Heresy"."In this major revision of church history, Arnold directed his sharpest criticism against those who wrote deeply biased apologetic "orthodox" histories instead of trying to understand where substantial religious differences actually came from. In his view,"heresy making" was usually the defensive reaction of those in authority, rather than a true indictment of unconventional thinkers. He thought that the worst calamity in Church history was its establishment as the accepted and orthodox faith by the Roman Emperor Constantine in the fourth century. Arnold evinced a remarkable sympathy for a huge variety of "heretics." This "impartial history" exercised a wide influence on the German Enlightenment and won approval from such thinkers as Johann Wolfgang Goethe in addition to Leo Tolstoy.".

Folio 37 cm, Pergamenteinband. Erster und Anderer Theil in einem Band. 7 Bl., 422, 728 S., 26 Bl., mit gest. tTitelvignette, Arnold Gottfried 1666-1714. Dünnhaupt (2.Aufl.) S.326. Theil 2 mit dem Innentitel: Anderer Theil der Kirchen- und Kätzer-Historie von anno 1500 biß 1688. Vorsatz fehlt, Schmutztitel und Titel mit Fehlstellen (ohne Textverlust), Randläsuren. Text teilw. stockfleckig u. gebräunt u. geknickt. Locker in Gelenk. Einband deutlich angeschmutzt. Sprache: Deutsch Gewicht in Gramm: 3700.