Karl August Heinrich Rauschenbusch (13 February 1816, in

Altena Altena (; Westphalian language, Westphalian: ''Altenoa'') is a town in the district of Märkischer Kreis, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The town's castle is the origin for the later Dukes of Berg. Altena is situated on the Lenne river valley, i ...

– 5 December 1899, in

Wandsbek Wandsbek () is the second-largest of seven Boroughs and quarters of Hamburg#Boroughs, boroughs that make up the city and state of Hamburg, Germany. The name of the district is derived from the river Wandse which passes through here. Hamburg-Wandsb ...

), better known as Augustus Rauschenbusch in English, was a German

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

(

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

early in his career) clergyman who worked mostly in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

Biography

He graduated from the gymnasium at

Elberfeld Elberfeld is a municipal subdivision of the Germany, German city of Wuppertal; it was an independent town until 1929. History The first official mentioning of the geographic area on the banks of today's Wupper River as "''elverfelde''" was ...

, and at 19 went to the

University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...

to study for the

ministry. Subsequently, he spent some time at the

University of Bonn The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...

in the study of

natural science Natural science or empirical science is one of the branches of science concerned with the description, understanding and prediction of natural phenomena, based on empirical evidence from observation and experimentation. Mechanisms such as peer ...

and

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

. On the death of his father, who was a Lutheran pastor in Altena, the son was chosen in 1841 as his successor. His ministry here, while fruitful in spiritual results, excited so much opposition, and was so hampered by his ecclesiastical relations, that he resolved to emigrate to the United States. He arrived in the U.S. in 1846, and preached for some time to the Germans in

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. In 1847 he moved to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, where he edited the German tracts published by the

American Tract Society The American Tract Society (ATS) is a nonprofit, nonsectarian but evangelical organization founded on May 11, 1825, in New York City for the purpose of publishing and disseminating tracts of Christian literature. ATS traces its lineage back thro ...

. While he was residing in New York, his views on the question of

baptism Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...

underwent a change, and in 1850 he entered the Baptist communion, though retaining his connection with the Tract Society until 1853. From 1853 to 1858, he served German Baptist churches in Missouri. In 1858 he was called to take charge of the German department of Rochester Theological Seminary, which place he continued to fill until 1888. He received the honorary degree of

D.D. A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (i.e., Christian theology and ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the English-speaking world than elsewhere. In the United Kin ...

from the

University of Rochester The University of Rochester is a private university, private research university in Rochester, New York, United States. It was founded in 1850 and moved into its current campus, next to the Genesee River in 1930. With approximately 30,000 full ...

. In 1890 he returned to Germany, where he devoted himself to literary work.

Works

*''Geschichte der Erzväter'' (New York, 1859) *''Die Bedeutung des Fusswaschens Christi'' (Hamburg, 1861) *''Die Vorläufer der Reformation'' (Cleveland, 1875) *''Gehören die Apokryphen in der Bibel hinein'' (Hamburg, 1895) *''Die Entstehung der Kindertaufe'' (1897) *''Biblische Frauenbilder'' (1897) *''Die Entstehung der Kindertaufe im 3. Jahrhundert nach Christum and die Wiedereinführung der biblischen Taufe im 17. Jahrhundert'' (1898) *''Handbüchlein der Homiletik für freikirchliche Prediger und für Stadtmissionäre'' (Cassel, 1900)

Family

He is the father of Baptist clergyman

Walter Rauschenbusch Walter Rauschenbusch (1861–1918) was an American theologian and Baptist pastor who taught at the Rochester Theological Seminary. Rauschenbusch was a key figure in the Social Gospel and single tax movements that flourished in the United States ...

References

* This source gives his birthplace as

Altona, Hamburg Altona (), also called Hamburg-Altona, is the westernmost Boroughs and quarters of Hamburg#Boroughs, urban borough (''Bezirk'') of the Germany, German States of Germany, city state of Hamburg. Located on the right bank of the Elbe river, Alton ...

. Attribution *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Rauschenbusch, Augustus 1816 births 1899 deaths 19th-century German Lutheran clergy University of Bonn alumni Humboldt University of Berlin alumni Converts to Baptist Christianity Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School faculty American male writers People from Märkischer Kreis 19th-century Baptist ministers from the United States