Orthodoxy is not Dead: The Life and Works of Erdmann Neumeister as a Rebuttal to the Charge of "Dead Orthodoxy"

Abstract

One of the critiques of Pietism against Lutheran Orthodoxy can be found in the epithet “dead Orthodoxy,” the idea that an emphasis on doctrine necessarily means a weak Christian life. There is a degree of merit to this charge historically, but it is not unequivocally true. One way to answer a blanket accusation is to provide a counter example to prove the rule is not universal. If one is considering the charge of Pietism against Orthodoxy, who could be a better representative than a champion of Orthodoxy and a sharp critic of Pietism? Among possible candidates, Erdmann Neumeister has not received much scholarly attention in English, and therefore, an examination of his life and works can provide a fresh perspective. For this reason, this paper will be examining the life and works of Erdmann Neumeister, an opponent of Pietism. This paper will limit itself to considering the man in this kind of spiritual evaluation. The man is not perfect, but he does not need to be. The growth of his Christian faith and its sincere activity testify against the charge of a dead faith.