Charles Frederick Schaeffer (3 September 1807 in Germantown, Pennsylvania – 23 November 1879 in

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) was a

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 ...

clergyman of the United States.

Biography

His parents were Frederick David Schaeffer and Rosina Rosenmiller. His father was a Lutheran clergyman, as were his brothers David Frederick, Frederick Christian, and Frederick Solomon, and his nephew Charles William. He was educated in the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (Penn or UPenn) is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. One of nine colonial colleges, it was chartered in 1755 through the efforts of f ...

, and studied theology under the direction of his father and Charles Rudolph Demme. He was ordained in 1829, and became pastor at

Carlisle, Pennsylvania Carlisle is a Borough (Pennsylvania), borough in and the county seat of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Carlisle is located within the Cumberland Valley, a highly productive agricultural region. As of the 2020 United States census ...

, where he remained until 1834. In the latter year he moved to

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, where he had charge of several Lutheran congregations until 1839. He was professor of theology in Capitol University,

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1840-43. He was culturally ill-suited for this position, and, after difficulties with a colleague, students and other ministers and pastor, he responded to a demand that he resign. He was then pastor at

Lancaster, Ohio Lancaster ( ) is a city in Fairfield County, Ohio, and its county seat. The population was 40,552 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Ohio, Ohio's 30th largest city, having surpassed Warren, Ohio, Warren and Fin ...

1843-45, at

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1845-51, and at

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1851-55. In 1855, he became professor of the German language and

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in the

Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Gettysburg Seminary) was a seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Gettysburg (; ) is a borough (Pennsylvania), borough in Adams County, Pen ...

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. There his conservatism was a challenge to liberal colleagues like

Samuel Simon Schmucker Samuel Simon Schmucker (February 28, 1799 – July 26, 1873) was a German-American Lutheran pastor and theologian. He was integral to the founding of the Lutheran church body known as the General Synod, as well as the oldest continuously operati ...

and middle-of-the-roaders like Charles Philip Krauth. The uneasy equilibrium ruptured in 1864, and Schaeffer left to become professor of systematic theology of a newly established theological seminary at Philadelphia, and its president. As representative of the strictly conservative and confessional party in the Lutheran Church, Schaeffer defended his position with great force in many publications, and was a leader in the organization of the general council in 1867.

Works

He published a large number of historical, homiletical, and doctrinal articles, and left several manuscripts of value, including a complete ''System of Lutheran Theology''. Among his works are: *J. F. Kurtz, ''Manual of Sacred History'', translated from the German (Philadelphia, 1855) *

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

, ''Small Catechism'', a revised translation (1856) *''Inaugural Address at Gettysburg'' (New York, 1856) * Johann Arndt, ''True Christianity'', translated from the German (1868)

Family

He married Susanna Schmucker in 1832, daughter of John George Schmucker. They had five children.

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schaeffer, Charles Frederick 19th-century American Lutheran clergy American Lutheran theologians 1807 births 1879 deaths University of Pennsylvania alumni 19th-century Lutheran theologians