RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Roswitha Rothe
change produced in him, as though it were the entrance of a new spiritual spring. For a considerable time thereafter his letters were couched in the unnatural mode of utterance in vogue among Pietists, and abounded in the bluntest expressions respecting everybody of a different opinion and all worldly pursuits. He even condemned all scientific treatment of theology. The Evangelical attempts in the cause of church union merely aroused his abhorrence, and served only to enhance his inclination toward Roman Catholicism. He manifested special predilection for the quietistic mysticism of the extravagant Francis of Sales (q.v.). Although he then assured his distressed parents that he had won inward rest and blessedness, he nevertheless later admitted in retrospect that he had not been a happy Pietist, but had been without joy. Gradually he felt the lack of satisfying, solid work at the Wittenberg Seminary, though he had often preached and studied much there, and, in the autumn of 1822, he left Wittenberg, not without satisfaction, to return home. Here, thanks to the good offices of Heubner, he was called to be chaplain to the Prussian embassy at Rome. He now passed his second theological examination, was ordained at Berlin, married Louise von Bruck, a sister-in-law of Heubner, and journeyed with her to Italy.
He reached Rome early in 1824. What usually attracted people he regarded with indifference, desiring simply to serve his congregation faithfully,
and thereby the kingdom of God. But Career, owing to the peculiar constituency of
that body, the conscientious execution of this task was bound to enlarge his field of vision. The nucleus of the Prussian congregation at Rome comprised some finely cultivated Evangelical families of the embassy, and a number of artists of idealistic taste. He soon discerned that Christianity was not to be presented before these circles in the form of a narrow-minded Pietism. Not a few of the members, above all the highly talented, eager personality of Josias Bunsen (q.v.), counselor of the legation, evinced by their combination of a vital Christian intelligence with political, scientific, artistic, and other spiritual and secular interests, that the two do not exclude each other. Hence the Pietistic forms, foreign as they always were to Rothe's individuality, fell gradually away from his habit of life and thought. In his modesty, his inner devoutness, his fellowship with Christ, his preference for quiet, he had much in common with Pietism, and these he retained enduringly. His style of correspondence now became more natural, and his judgment of Pietism more and more critical. At the same time, being at the very center of Roman Catholicism, he was radically cured of his predilection for that system, and perceived that a stanch ecclesiasticism still affords no warrant of Christian piety. Thus his own Christianity grew more liberal toward the world, and, stimulated by his official activity, he awakened more keenly to the need of scientific studies. Before conferences of cultivated members of his congregation, in response to the request of some artists, he discussed topics in ecclesiastical history. This Roman sojourn, however, had also its dark sides. Rothe's wife ap-
peared unable to bear the climate. Then the frequent changes in the constituency of the Prussian congregation rendered the fruits of his activity insecure. With increasing diffidence toward publicly disclosing his inmost mind, he began to doubt bis qualification for a practical church career, and his desire for active scholarship grew apace. Under the circumstances a call to be professor at the theological seminary at Wittenberg in 1828 was gladly accepted, and this was followed by the appointment to be second director and ephor, 1832. In 1837 he became university preacher, and professor and director of the new seminary at Heidelberg. To be released from the latter office he accepted a call to Bonn in 1849. Feeling too much weighed down by the practical duties of preaching in connection with the public worship of the university, he returned to Heidelberg, 1854, where he now lectured on ecclesiastical history, exegesis, systematic theology, the life of Christ, encyclopedia, and, occasionally, on practical theology till his death.
From the beginning of his independent theological research, his deepest interest turned to the scientific knowledge of the ideal truth of Christianity. But in distinction from the dialectics of Schleiermacher, which seemed to him too formal and abstract, he strove after a more replete speculation, rendering more justice to the realities Work in of the world and of historical Chris- Exegesis tianity. Hence his theological studies and were applied, first, to Biblical exegesis History, and ecclesiastical history. His exegetical studies were taken up at Rome, and pursued with special zeal during the later period of his sojourn there, since Biblical writings formed the topics of discussion in the conferences of cultivated church-members. This gave rise to Rothe's first literary publication, his monograph on Rom. v. 12-21, prepared at Ischia, and published under the title, Neuer Versuch einer Auslegung der Paulinischen Stelle Romer V., 12-21 (Wittenberg, 1836). However, purely exegetical interest was not very lively with ■him, and he published nothing further in scientific exegesis. Still, his official tasks at Wittenberg led him to produce edifying elucidations of Scripture; and his exposition of I John is one of the best of its kind, Der erste Brief Johannis (Wittenberg, 1878). His studies next turned to the historical field. Already at Breslau, after Neander had inspired him at Berlin to the academic vocation, he had devoted himself to studies in ecclesiastical history. At Rome association with the versatile and scholarly Bunsen gave him new impetus. Coincident with his own interest the Roman artists besought him for information on the history of Roman Catholicism. The reaction which then took place in his critical estimation of Romanism also occasioned the need of some independent historical examination on this topic. His deep study of the sources thus prepared him for the course of lectures on " Church Life " that he was pledged to deliver at Wittenberg, in which he treated the nature and history of the Christian religion and Church. Another fruit of this labor was his much-noted work, Die Anfange der christlichen Kirche and ihrer Ver-
Rothe Rousseau