RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Lang: Langen
speciatim Schelvigiance (Berlin, 1706), first as an appendix to J. W. Zierold's Synopsis veritatis, and in the following year as a separate work. He then assailed the Unschuldige Nachrichten, edited by V E. Loscher, the orthodox leader, after 1702, with his Aufrichtige Nachricht von der Unechtheit der sogenannten Unschuldigen Nachrichten (5 vols., Leipsic, 1707-14). His chief attack on the orthodox, however, was his Antibarbarus orthodoxies dogmatico-hermeneuticus (4 parts, Berlin, 1709-11); while in his Richtige Mittelstrasse (4 vols., Halle, 1712-14) he sought to combat the errors and extravagances of his fellow Pietists. He again attacked Loscher in the name of the theological faculty of Halle with his Die Gestalt des Kreuzreichs Christi in seiner Unschuld, etc. (Halle, 1713); and when his opponent sought peace with Halle in 1716 and 1719, it was Lange whose stubborn attitude prevented any reconciliation. Lange now engaged in a controversy with the philosopher Christian Wolff (q.v.), who had been appointed professor at Halle in 1706. Wolff's prorectorial address on the moral philosophy of the Chinese (July 12, 1721), declaring that unaided human reason could attain to moral truths, was bitterly offensive to the theological faculty, and Lange, not only by using his court influence to brand Wolff's determinism and atheism as perilous to the State, but especially by his Causa Dei aaversus atheismum et pseudophilosophiam prcesertim Stoicam, Spinozianam et Wolfianam (Halle, 1723), secured his opponent's banishment in 1723. Yet despite this triumph, which was followed by a series of polemics, such as the Kurze Darslellung der Grundsdtze der Wolff' schen Philosophie (Halle, 1736), could not prevent Wolff's return in 1740, while Lange was prohibited from making further attacks.
Lange's writings, though highly esteemed by his contemporaries, have now only a historical value. His works on church history, systematic theology, and exegesis are exemplified by his Historia ecclesiastica Veteris et Novi Testamenti (Halle, 1722); CEconomia salutis evangelique dogmatica et moralis (1728); and Hermeneutica sacra (Berlin, 1733), and his two comprehensive works on the Bible, Biblisches Licht und Recht (7 vols., Halle, 1729-38), and Hausbibel (2 vols., Leipsic, 1743). As an author of pietistic hymns he is best known by his O Jesu, susses Licht, nun ist die Nacht vergangen, and Heir, wann wirst Du Zion bauen f
(Geoeg Muller.) Bibliography: The chief source is the autobiographic Halle, 1744. Consult further: C. W. F. Walch, Historie der Ketzereien . und Religionsstreitigkeiten, i. 844 sqq., Leipsic, 1762; A. Ritschl, Geschichte des Pietismus, i. 280- 560, Bonn, 1884; W. Schrader, Geschichte der Friedrichs- Universitat zu Halle, i. 133-135, 200-212, 307-320, Berlin, 1894.
LANGE, JOHANN PETER: German theologian and exegete of the Evangelical school; b. on a farm in the parish of Sonnborn, near Elberfeld, Prussia, Apr. 10, 1802; d. at Bonn July 8, 1884. His father was a farmer and wagoner and brought his son up in the same occupations, but allowed him to indulge his passion for reading. He studied at the gymnasium in Diisseldorf 1821-22 and the University of Bonn, where he was particularly
influenced by Nitzsch, 1822-25. He became assistant minister at Langenberg, near Elberfeld, 1825; Reformed pastor of Wald, near Solingen, 1826; of Langenberg, 1828; and of Duisburg, 1832. At Duisburg he attracted attention by his articles in Hengstenberg's Evangelische Kirchenzeitung and other periodicals, by his poems, and by his book Ueber den geschichtlichen Charakter der kanonischen Evangelien, insbesondere der Kindheitsgeschichte Jesu; mit Beziehung auf " das Leben Jesu von D. F. Strauss " (Duisburg, 1836). In 1841, after Strauss had been prevented from taking his professorship of theology at Zurich (see Strauss, David Friedrich), Lange was called to the position. Here he elaborated his Leben Jesu nach den Evangelien (5 vols., Heidelberg, 1844-47; Eng. transl., 6 vols., Edinburgh, 1864, 4 vols., Philadelphia, 1872), a positive refutation of the famous work of Strauss, which had a wide circulation and a marked effect upon the subsequent literature on the subject. In 1854 he succeeded Dorner as professor of dogmatic theology at Bonn. In 1860 he became consistorial councilor.
Lange was small of stature, had a strong constitution, a benignant face and bright eye. He was simple in habits, genial, full of kindness, wit, and humor, and was always fully alive to the religious, literary, and social questions of the day. He was a poet as well as a theologian, his mind teeming with new ideas, often fanciful, but always interesting and suggestive. Some of his compositions have gone into the hymn-book. As theologian he was one of the most original and fertile authors of the nineteenth century. His theology is Biblical and Evangelical — catholic. His Theologisch-homiletisches Bibelwerk (16 parts on the New Testament, Bielefeld, 1857-71, 20 parts on the Old Testament, 1865-76) in its English form (ed. Philip Schaff, 25 vols, including an additional vol. on the Apocrypha by E. C. Bissell, New York and Edinburgh, 1864- 1874 new ed. 1886) made his name familiar in England and America. He originated the plan, engaged about twenty contributors, and commented himself on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Matthew, Mark, John, Romans, and Revelation, giving original and brilliant homiletical hints. Other works worthy of mention are: Biblische Dichtungen (2 vols., Elberfeld, 1832-34); Das Land der Herrlichkeit (Mors, 1838); Vermischte Schriften (4 vols., 1840-41; new series, 3 vols., Bielefeld, 1860-64); Christliche Dogmatik (part i., Philosophische Dogmatik, Heidelberg, 1849; part ii., Positive Dogmatik, 1851; part hi., Polemik und Irenik, 1852) ; Vom Oelberge, geistliche Dichtungen (Frankfort, 1853); Das apostolische Zeitalter (2 vols., Brunswick, 1854); Grundriss der theologischen Encyklopadie (Heidelberg, 1877); Grundriss der biblischen Hermeneutik (1878); Grundriss der christlichen Ethik (1878); Grundriss der Bibelkunde (1881).
(Philip ScHAPFf.) D. S. Schaff.
Bibliography : P. Schaff, Germany ; its Universities, Theology and Religion, pp. 381-388, New York, 1857; Worte der Erinnerung an J. P. Lange, Bonn, 1884.
LANGEN, lang'en, JOSEPH: German Old Catholic; b. at Cologne June 8, 1837; d. at Bonn July
Lang-en Languet