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The Daily Exercise of Piety
Johann Gerhard (1582–1637) holds a place of honor among the great theologians of the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy. Remembered not only for his ‘academic’ works such as the Loci Theologi , but also for his ‘devotional’ works such as Sacred Meditations, The Daily Exercise of Piety , and the Schola Pietatis , Gerhard's influence on the teaching and piety of the Lutheran Church is felt to this day.
The Daily Exercise of Piety consists of 46 devotionals written in the form of ‘prayed catechesis.’ These devotions are divided under four major (1) Meditations on Sins; (2) Contemplation on Divine Gifts Bestowed; (3) Mediation on our Need; and (4) Meditation on the Need of the Neighbor.
First published by Repristination Press in 1994, this English translation of The Daily Exercise of Piety marked the beginning of a new wave of interest in the theologians of the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy.
The Daily Exercise of Piety consists of 46 devotionals written in the form of ‘prayed catechesis.’ These devotions are divided under four major (1) Meditations on Sins; (2) Contemplation on Divine Gifts Bestowed; (3) Mediation on our Need; and (4) Meditation on the Need of the Neighbor.
First published by Repristination Press in 1994, this English translation of The Daily Exercise of Piety marked the beginning of a new wave of interest in the theologians of the Age of Lutheran Orthodoxy.
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Johann Gerhard
215 books14 followersJohann Gerhard was a Lutheran church leader and Scholastic theologian during the period of Orthodoxy.
At the age of fourteen, during a dangerous illness, he came under the personal influence of Johann Arndt, author of Das wahre Christenthum, and resolved to study for the church. He entered the University of Wittenberg in 1599, and studied philosophy and theology. A relative then persuaded him to change his subject, and he studied medicine for two years. In 1603, he resumed his theological reading at Jena, and in the following year received a new impulse from J.W. Winckelmann and Balthasar Mentzer at Marburg. He graduated in 1605 and began to give lectures at Jena, then in 1606 he accepted the invitation of John Casimir, Duke of Coburg, to the superintendency of Heldburg, today Bad Colberg-Heldburg, and mastership of the gymnasium; soon afterwards he became general superintendent of the duchy, in which capacity he was engaged in the practical work of ecclesiastical organization until 1616, when he became the senior theological professor at Jena, where the remainder of his life was spent.
Here, with Johann Major and Johann Himmel, he formed the "Trias Johannea." Though still comparatively young, Gerhard was already regarded as the greatest living theologian of Protestant Germany; in the "disputations" of the period he was always protagonist, and his advice was sought on all public and domestic questions touching on religion or morals. During his lifetime he received repeated calls to almost every university in Germany (e.g. Giessen, Altdorf, Helmstedt, Jena, Wittenberg), as well as to Uppsala in Sweden. He died in Jena.
His writings are numerous, alike in exegetical, polemical, dogmatic and practical theology. To the first category belong the Commentarius in harmoniam historiae evangelicae de passione Christi (1617), the Comment, super priorem D. Petri epistolam (1641), and also his commentaries on Genesis (1637) and on Deuteronomy (1658). Of a controversial character are the Confessio Catholica (1633–1637), an extensive work which seeks to prove the evangelical and catholic character of the doctrine of the Augsburg Confession from the writings of approved Roman Catholic authors; and the Loci communes theologici (1610–1622), his principal contribution, in which Lutheranism is expounded "nervose, solide et copiose," in fact with a fulness of learning, a force of logic and a minuteness of detail that had never before been approached.
The Meditationes sacrae (1606), a work expressly devoted to the uses of Christian edification, has been frequently reprinted in Latin and has been translated into most of the European languages, including Greek.
At the age of fourteen, during a dangerous illness, he came under the personal influence of Johann Arndt, author of Das wahre Christenthum, and resolved to study for the church. He entered the University of Wittenberg in 1599, and studied philosophy and theology. A relative then persuaded him to change his subject, and he studied medicine for two years. In 1603, he resumed his theological reading at Jena, and in the following year received a new impulse from J.W. Winckelmann and Balthasar Mentzer at Marburg. He graduated in 1605 and began to give lectures at Jena, then in 1606 he accepted the invitation of John Casimir, Duke of Coburg, to the superintendency of Heldburg, today Bad Colberg-Heldburg, and mastership of the gymnasium; soon afterwards he became general superintendent of the duchy, in which capacity he was engaged in the practical work of ecclesiastical organization until 1616, when he became the senior theological professor at Jena, where the remainder of his life was spent.
Here, with Johann Major and Johann Himmel, he formed the "Trias Johannea." Though still comparatively young, Gerhard was already regarded as the greatest living theologian of Protestant Germany; in the "disputations" of the period he was always protagonist, and his advice was sought on all public and domestic questions touching on religion or morals. During his lifetime he received repeated calls to almost every university in Germany (e.g. Giessen, Altdorf, Helmstedt, Jena, Wittenberg), as well as to Uppsala in Sweden. He died in Jena.
His writings are numerous, alike in exegetical, polemical, dogmatic and practical theology. To the first category belong the Commentarius in harmoniam historiae evangelicae de passione Christi (1617), the Comment, super priorem D. Petri epistolam (1641), and also his commentaries on Genesis (1637) and on Deuteronomy (1658). Of a controversial character are the Confessio Catholica (1633–1637), an extensive work which seeks to prove the evangelical and catholic character of the doctrine of the Augsburg Confession from the writings of approved Roman Catholic authors; and the Loci communes theologici (1610–1622), his principal contribution, in which Lutheranism is expounded "nervose, solide et copiose," in fact with a fulness of learning, a force of logic and a minuteness of detail that had never before been approached.
The Meditationes sacrae (1606), a work expressly devoted to the uses of Christian edification, has been frequently reprinted in Latin and has been translated into most of the European languages, including Greek.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 1, 2024
Took my time with this because I didn’t want it to end. Highly recommended to any pastor or lay person.
I’ve been trying to be more intentionally like Gerhard as he prays. He evidences deep saturation in the Scriptures, Fathers, and Confessions.
I’ve been trying to be more intentionally like Gerhard as he prays. He evidences deep saturation in the Scriptures, Fathers, and Confessions.
November 5, 2019
An incredible little text of prayers and devotions from the greatest Lutheran writer. Like all Gerhard's works, this is highly recommended.
April 5, 2013
This is superb, but expect nothing less from Gerhard in any of his writings.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews