- Johann Wilhelm Petersen
Johann Wilhelm Petersen (
July 1 ,1649 inOsnabrück ,Germany -January 31 ,1727 inZerbst ,Germany ) was a German theologian, mystic, and Millennialist.Johann Wilhelm Petersen grew up in
Lübeck and studied theology at theKatharineum inLübeck , as well as inGiessen ,Rostock ,Leipzig ,Wittenberg andJena . He studied withPhilipp Jakob Spener inFrankfurt , and they became friends in 1675. Through his affiliation with Spener, Petersen became interested inPietism .As a student, Petersen wrote a 1668 wedding poem for
Dieterich Buxtehude . This poem was later composed as acantata ("Oh blessed, to the Last Supper of the Lamb is appointed"BuxWV 90 ).By 1677, Petersen was pastor of the church at
Hanover . He was the leader and superintendent of the diocese ofLübeck inEutin until 1688, and from 1688 to 1692 he was the superintendent inAue .In 1680, he published "Acquittal Catechism", and fell out of favor with religious leaders and lost his position in the church because of his Chiliastic teachings.
Together with his wife Johanna Eleonora, he developed an independent form of spirituality in affinity with forms of
pietism andmysticism . He spent the rest of his life on his property atlow-Dodeleben , from 1724 toThymern andZerbst .
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