LOESCHE, Leshe, GEORG KARL DAVID:
Austrian Lutheran; b. at Berlin Aug. 22, 1855. He was educated at the universities of BerHn, Bonn, and Tubingen (Ph.D., Jena, 1880; lie. theol., Berlin, 1883), was preacher to the German church in Florence, Italy (1880-85), and privat-docent for church history at the University of Berlin in 1885- 1887. In 1887 he accepted a call to the Evangelical Protestant faculty at Vienna as associate professor of the same subject, and in 1889 became full professor. He is a privy councilor, president of the examining board for Evangelical theological candidates in Austria, and vice-president of the Austrian branch of the Gustav-Adolf-Verein and of the Gesellschaft fur die Geschichte des Protestantismus in Oesterreich. In theology he is an adherent of the " modern " school. In addition to his work as editor of the Jahrbuch der Gesellschaft fur die Geschichte des Protestantismus in Oesterreich, he has edited Johann Mathesius' Ausgewdhlte Werke (4 vols., Prague, 1896-1904) and Gustav Frank's Die Theologie des neunzehnten Jahrhunderts (Leipsic, 1905), and has written Florenzer Predigten (Halle, 1884); Ernst Moritz Arndt, der deutsche Reichsherold (Gotha, 1884); Bellarmins Lehre vom Papst und deren actuelle Bedeutung (Halle, 1885); Analecta Lutherana et Melanchthoniana (Gotha, 1892); Johann Mathesius, ein Lebens- und Sittenbild aus der Reformationszeit (2 vols., 1895); and Geschichte des Protestantismus in Oesterreich (Leipsic, 1902).
LOESCHER, lush'er, VALENTIN ERNST: German Lutheran; b. at Sondershausen Dec. 29, 1673; d. at Dresden Dec. 12, 1749. At the University of Wittenberg, where his father was professor of theology, he gave his attention mainly to philology and history, but out of respect to his father's wish he selected a theological subject for his master's dissertation, in which he opposed the Pietistic position. Subsequent study at Jena aroused his interest in church history. During travels undertaken at this time he formed the acquaintance of a number of influential anti- Pietistic theologians. In 1696 he began to lecture at Wittenberg on the origin of Deism and Pietism. After serving as superintendent at Jiiterbog (1698-1701) and Delitzsch (1701-07) and professor of theology at Wittenberg (1707-09), he became pastor of the Kreuzkirche and superintendent in Dresden. Here
Loosener Log-os
THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
he remained the rest of his life. His practical duties here turned his attention more particularly to the needs of the Church. His orthodoxy did not prevent him from admitting the truth of the claims of the Pietists concerning the prevailing perfunctoriness of religious life, which he ascribed to the negligence of orthodox pastors. He at once took earnest measures to encourage a deeper spiritual life in the Church. He had already begun the publication of his Unschuldige Nachrichten von alien und neuen theologischen Sachen (Wittenberg and Leipsic, 1701 sqq.), the first theological periodical. The comprehensive scope and able management^ of the magazine gave it great importance. Through it Loscher became the leader of the orthodox party, as opposed to the Pietistic and naturalistic factions in the Lutheran Church, and the representative of scientific Lutheran theology.
In opposition to the proposal that Pietism should be considered the best means of promoting the union of the Lutheran and the Reformed Churches (advocated at the time by the Prussian Government), Loscher published several works, including Aus/iihrliche Historia motuum zwischen den Evangelisch-Lutherischen'und Reformierten (3 parts, Frankfort, 1707-08). In the course of a controversy with the Pietist Joachim Lange, LSscher defended orthodoxy in his Prcenotiones et notiones theological (Wittenberg, 1708). However, his most comprehensive criticism of Pietism appeared in his magazine under the title Timotheus Verinus, in which work he held that the Pietists had a false conception of the relation between piety and religion and that their zeal for piety placed them in opposition to the doctrine of justification by faith. The work inspired a bitter reply from his Pietistic opponents, which called forth from Loscher his greatest work, Yollstdndiger Timotheus Verinus (2 parts, Wittenberg, 1718-22). In this he discusses the origin and rapid development of Pietism and elaborates upon its evils. Nevertheless he was unable to check the advance of Pietism or even to pass a true judgment upon the real significance of the movement. The importance of Loscher's part in the Pietistic controversy was not fully recognized until the return to Evangelical doctrine in the nineteenth century.
Loscher took an active part also in the controversy which at that time was being waged against the Roman Catholic Church in Dresden and contributed a number of studies to that cause, notably his Yollstundige Reformations- Akta und Documenta (3 vols., Leipsic, 1720-29). He also opposed Wolff's system of philosophy, claiming that " philosophical indifferentism " portended a revolution in Christianity. (Georg Muller.)
Bibliography: M. von Engelhardt, V. E. Loscher nach seinem Leben und M'irken, Stuttgart, 1856; G. W. Gotte, Das jetzt lebende gelehrte Europa, ii. 169-233, Brunswick, 1736; J. J. Moser, Beitrag zu einem Lexicon luiherischer und reformierter Thenhmen, pp. 415—439, Zullichau, 1740; T. Cruger, Leben Liischer's, Dresden, 1751; G. Kramer, August Herrmann Francke, ii. 72-84, 272-319, 343, Halle, 1882; F. Blanckmeister. in Beitr&ge zur siichsischen Kirchengeschichte, viii. 330-344, Leipsic, 1893; idem, Sachsische Kirchengeschichte, pp. 224-254, 282-285, 304- 331, Dresden, 1899; ADB, xix. 109-213.
LOGIA JESU. See Aqrapha.
LOGOS.
I. Content of the Term. II. Source of the Term. III. Significance of the Term.
On the influence which the doctrine of the Logos exerted on the general Christological development of the early Church see Christology; and cf. Trinity. This article will deal with the origin and signification of the term in Biblical literature, especially in the writings of John.
I. Content of the Term: The prologue of the Fourth Gospel sets forth the nature and work of Jesus primarily from the standpoint of the apparition of the Logos. The evangelist lays down first the essential nature of the Logos in relation to God, the world, and humanity, characterized by primeval existence before all worlds — an existence "with God " in the manner of personal relation (pros ton theon, cf. Matt. xiii. 56; II Cor. v. 8) and participation in the divine nature. All creation is by him; without him is no life or light of truth and salvation. Next comes his relation to the Baptist, who was born in time, a human prophetic messenger with the mission to bear witness to the Light, while the /Logos is the mediator of a marvelous new life to *all who receive him. Then comes the statement that the Word became flesh, revealing the glory of an only-begotten Son, full of grace and truth. This revelation can be made only by the Son, who has dwelt from all eternity in the bosom of the Father. After this the prologue returns to its starting-point, emphasizing the personal intercourse with God face to face as the incomparable privilege of the Logos conferred upon Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son. Thus the conception originally laid down has gained in clearness not only by the exact definition of attributes, but by the identification of the person to whom the funption of the Logos, the making known of God, is assigned.
The term Logos, then, denotes neither here nor anywhere else in the writings of John the " reason," but always the " Word," who is with Ood and comes into the world with the function of making known the thoughts and purposes of God. The Word is not an abstract revelation made to the world, but something greater, transcending the earthly sphere and belonging to that of the divine life. More exactly /the Word is a person communicating with God as with one of the same nature, then assuming a fleshly form and proclaiming, without loss of his supernatural being or unequaled closeness to God, that which he has seen of the Father and the Father's counsels.) The personal nature of the Logos would not of Itself follow from the identification with Jesus Christ, which might mean simply the assumption of a personality and a universal function, but it follows inevitably from verses 1 and 3 and the use made of the thought in verse 18. This is confirmed by other Johannine passages: in I John i. 1, the "Word of life," like the " life " which is afterward taken as equivalent, is the personal bearer of this life, first in the supernatural and then in the natural sphere; and still more obviously in Rev. xix. 13 the rider on the white horse, the triumphant executor of the divine judgments, is conceived as a person. It is safe,