Zinzendorfs Pastoraltheologie

Überlegungen zur Wirkungsgeschichte und zum Inhalt seines Liedes „Was sag ich dir, mein lieber mann?“

Abstract

These reflections, dedicated to Dietrich Meyer on his 85th birthday, represent a sketch of Zinzendorf ’s pastoral theology. The hymn “Was sag ich dir, mein lieber Mann?” (What shall I say to you, my dear husband?) is interpreted. The Count wrote this for the 20th birthday of Anna Nitschmann (1715–1760), one of the Moravian Church’s most important church workers. Zinzendorf ’s hymn has had a remarkable history of influence, as some parts of it have often been used in ordinations. The first two verses and the last verse mention the spiritual requirements that workers in the congregation should meet. The remaining verses contain thirteen requests with which the Count characterizes the challenges of pastoral theological work.