The rebellious preacher's kid: Schleiermacher

by koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia


There are many true experiences of pastors whos' children had a good upbringing, but they rejected or are rejecting the ways of their parents and faith and choose to be like the prodigal son, out on a limb.

Julius Wellhausen's father was a pastor. Friedrich Schleiermacher's father was also a pastor.

Because pastor Gottlieb Schleiermacher cared for his household that they should be saved in the Moravian faith, he brought them up with stories about Jesus, a love for the Bible and with deep faith and prayer. He sent his children to the Christian school so that they could continue a lifestyle of Christian living in the Lord. His children had all the chances in the world to be in touch with Christ and His love but with Friedrich something happened.

This preacher's kid was starting to read banned books at the Moravian seminary, books that were degrading the Bible and faith. Sceptical books from Halle University professors were secretly read and some of these kids thought it to be "reform" for the narrow-minded Moravian faith. It appeared to enlighten the dark mind of faith. It appealed to the desires of Friedrich.

Schleiermacher became rebellious of the demands for faith at the Moravian school and wanted to break free. Free from the rules, biblical rules, free from the Moravian faith, free from the Bible, just free.

He began soon to reject their demands and because of his spirit of rebellion, he was eventually expelled from the Moravian seminary.

His mother died years before that and was spared these events. His father received the news with great concern. He hastely wrote a letter on 21 January 1787 to his father trying to prepare his mind as to what is going on in his life:


"I cannot believe that He, who called Himself the Son of Man, was the true eternal God: I cannot believe that His death was a vicarious atonement, because He never expressly said so Himself; and I cannot believe it to have been necessary, because God, who evidently did not create men for perfection, but for the pursuit of it, cannot possibly intend to punish them eternally, because they have not attained it".


Unbeliever. Rejecting the divinity of Jesus. Rejecting the Atonement. Rejecting the necessity of atonement. Arguing with the justice of God like an atheist. Welcome to Friedrich Schleiermacher, who is hailed by modern theologians as the pioneer in their own thinking. Welcome to the Hermeneutics of Suspicion of Friedrich rejecting the Hermeneutics of Affirmation of his father's faith.

His father read the letter and was very shocked. He cried for what he saw. He wrote back to his son:


"Oh, senseless son! who has confused you, that you no longer follow the truth, you, before whose eyes Christ was pictured, and who now is crucifying Him? . . . And if the dead watch over us, oh! what a cruel disturber of the tranquility of our blessed mother you have become . . .

Alas! into what a state of deception has the wickedness of your heart plunged you. . . And now, O my son, who I press with tears to my sorrowful heart! with heartrending grief I reject you, for reject I must, as you no longer worships the God of you fathers"


Friedrich received the letter from his father, but his father's pain could do nothing to change the sinful heart of Friedrich. He persisted in his evil ways and only acknowledge it honestly to his father in the following way:


"Oh! could you picture to yourself the distressing, the miserable condition of your son! I was but too wretched beforehand, and now your letter has more than doubled my wretchedness. However, I recognize in it the tender heart of a father who still loves his apostate son and leaves no means untried to bring him back into the former path".


Friedrich agreed that he is apostate and offroad. He agreed that he is miserable. He agreed that his father is loving and caring. But, in his final choice, even though his father appealed the truth to Friedrich Schleiermacher, he chose to be the spokesman for wretchedness and apostacy, adding to scepticism that which could be ably used by Satan in future to confuse and lead astray many ministers of the Word of God.

For many modern scholars and doctoral students, Friedrich Schleiermacher is a role-model but in his own confession, he is skew and off as far as biblical grounds are concerned.


Dear God

What is man, that you pay so much attention to him and what are we when we pay so little attention to you. Like Paul we want to say that I want to talk about nothing else than Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Amen


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