FRIEDRICH CHRISTOPH

See also:

• FRIEDRICH CHRISTOPH OETINGER (1702-1782)

OETINGER (1702-1782)  , German divine and theosophist, was horn at Goppingen on the 6th of May 1702 . He studied theology at Tubingen (1722-1728), and was much impressed by the works of Jakob Bohme . On the completion of his university course, Oetinger spent some years in travel . In 1730 he visited Count Zinzendorf at Herrnhut, remaining there some months as teacher of Hebrew and Greek . During his travels, in his eager search for knowledge, he made the acquaintance of mystics and separatists, Christians and learned Jews, theologians and physicians alike . At Halle he studied medicine . After some delay he was ordained to the ministry, and held several pastorates . While pastor (from 1746) at Waldorf near Berlin, he studied alchemy and made many experiments, his idea being to use his knowledge for symbolic purposes . These practices exposed him to the attacks of persons who misunderstood him . " My religion," he once said, " is the parallelism of Nature and Grace." Oetinger translated Swedenborg's philosophy of heaven and earth, and added notes of his own . Eventually (1766) he became prelate at Murrhardt, where he died on the loth of February 1782 . Oetinger's autobiography was published by J .

Hamberger in 1845 . He published about seventy works, in which he expounded his theosophic views . A collected edition, Samtliche Schriften (1st

section, Homiletische Schriften, 5 vols., 1858—1866; and section, Theosophische Werke, 6 vols., 1858—1863), was prepared by K . F . C . Ehmann, who also wrote Oetinger's Leben and Briefe (1859) . See also C . A . Auberlen, Die Theosophie Friedr . Chr, Oetinger's (1847; and ed., 1859), and Herzog, Friedrich Christoph Olinger (1902) .