Johann Jacob Rambach, also ''Johann Jakob Rambach'' (born 1693 in Halle,

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

; died 1735 in

Giessen Giessen, spelled in German (), is a town in the Germany, German States of Germany, state () of Hesse, capital of both the Giessen (district), district of Giessen and the Giessen (region), administrative region of Giessen. The population is appro ...

) was a German

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 ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

writer.

Life

Rambach was the son of Hans Jakob Rambach, a cabinet maker. For a time, he trained with his father, but then attended the

University of Halle Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (), also referred to as MLU, is a public research university in the cities of Halle and Wittenberg. It is the largest and oldest university in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. MLU offers German and i ...

as a student of medicine, before becoming interested in theology. In 1723 he was appointed as an adjunct of the theological faculty, and in 1727, after

August Hermann Francke August Hermann Francke (; 22 March 1663 – 8 June 1727) was a German Lutheran clergyman, theologian, philanthropist, and Biblical scholar. His evangelistic fervour and pietism got him expelled as lecturer from the universities of Dresden and ...

's death, a professor. After earning a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

in 1731, he was appointed the first professor of theology at

University of Giessen University of Giessen, official name Justus Liebig University Giessen (), is a large public research university in Giessen, Hesse, Germany. It is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the German-speaking world. It is named afte ...

. He was offered a professorship at the

University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...

, but decided to remain in Giessen. He died of fever 1735. Rambach's hymns are still in use in German and some have passed into English use. He married twice, first, in 1724 to a daughter of his colleague, Joachim Lange. After her death, he remarried in 1730. His daughter Johanna Dorothea married Conrad Caspar Griesbach, the father of

Johann Jakob Griesbach Johann Jakob Griesbach (4 January 1745 – 24 March 1812) was a German biblical textual critic. Griesbach's fame rests upon his work in New Testament criticism, in which he inaugurated a new epoch. His solution to the synoptic problem bears his nam ...

. One of his other daughters married Johann Christian Dietz, who was also a professor at Giessen.

Works

* ''Erbauliches Handbüchlein für Kinder.'' Leipzig 1733
Digitalisat
in the Digital Library of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern). * ''Erbauliches Handbüchlein für Kinder.'' Gießen 1734, hg.v. Stefanie Pfister und Malte van Spankeren, EVA Leipzig 2014, ISBN 978-3-374-03754-4. * ''Geistliche Poesien, in zweyen Theilen'' Gießen 1735
TU Darmstadt Digital Library
* ''Der Heil. Schrift Prof. Ord. in Halle Betrachtungen über das gantze Leiden Christi, Jm Oelgarten, vor dem geistlichen Gericht der Jüden, vor dem weltlichen Gericht Pilati und Herodis, und auf dem Berge Golgatha : Nach der Harmonischen Beschreibung der vier Evangelisten abgehandelt.''
Digital Library at University of Halle

Links

* * *

in Project Gutenberg-DE *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rambach, Johann Jacob 1693 births 1735 deaths 18th-century hymnwriters Academic staff of the Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg German Lutheran theologians People from Halle (Saale) Academic staff of the University of Giessen 18th-century Lutheran theologians