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Religion, Community, and the New Republic
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The Letters of Johann Ernst Bergmann, edited and translated by Russell Kleckley, chronicles the experiences and perceptions of a German Lutheran pastor called to serve a struggling community in the American South soon after the Revolutionary War. Written mostly to Bergmann’s superiors at the important center of German Pietism in Halle, the letters not only report on conditions in Ebenezer, Georgia, established over a half-century earlier by religious refugees from Salzburg, they also offer a distinctive and often critical look at American culture, religion, and politics from an outsider’s viewpoint. Bergmann stresses the practical and corrosive impact of American notions of freedom in everyday life while also commenting on a wide range of other issues, including Georgia’s relationship with Native Americans and the practice of slavery.
Religion, Community, and the New Republic
Author:
The Letters of Johann Ernst Bergmann, edited and translated by Russell Kleckley, chronicles the experiences and perceptions of a German Lutheran pastor called to serve a struggling community in the American South soon after the Revolutionary War. Written mostly to Bergmann’s superiors at the important center of German Pietism in Halle, the letters not only report on conditions in Ebenezer, Georgia, established over a half-century earlier by religious refugees from Salzburg, they also offer a distinctive and often critical look at American culture, religion, and politics from an outsider’s viewpoint. Bergmann stresses the practical and corrosive impact of American notions of freedom in everyday life while also commenting on a wide range of other issues, including Georgia’s relationship with Native Americans and the practice of slavery.
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Bergmann reports on the political tensions increasing in the United States over issues of states’ rights and slavery, foreshadowing the American Civil War. The call up of militias in Georgia over fears arising from the First Seminole War causes difficulties for his son who qualifies for a medical exemption. The slave revolt planned by Denmark Vesey in South Carolina is thwarted and its leaders executed. The work of American missionaries around the world captures Bergmann’s attention, along with fires on the east coast, hurricanes, and outbreaks of yellow fever. Bergmann is aware of his own approaching death.
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Bergmann reviews some significant developments in the life of the community, both before and since his arrival. He recalls incidents from the time of the Revolutionary War that do not reflect well on the conduct of certain individuals in and around Ebenezer. He also describes unusual events in the weather and features of the land, plants, and animals of the region. The mistreatment of slaves remains a concern, along with the profiteering of wealthy landowners who prefer to plant cotton over crops that can be used for food. Savannah has virtually recovered from a fire that occurred in 1796, though outbreaks of yellow fever remain a concern. He continues to appreciate his good relationships with clergy of other denomination.
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Bergmann reacts to his call to Ebenezer in Georgia and describes his trip to Augsburg where he meets with J.A. Urlsperger, the head of the Lutheran ministerium there, for his ordination and orientation on the circumstances in Ebenezer. In Augsburg, he becomes aware of Urlsperger’s lack of confidence in him. Nonetheless, Bergmann relies on his assurance of the divine origin of his call. After meeting with J. G. Probst, who has been appointed to serve as a second pastor and schoolteacher in Ebenezer, he sets sail on the difficult first leg of his journey that will take him first to Tenerife before sailing across the Atlantic to America.
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Bergmann reports on the American response to the French Revolution, which he regards as consistent with the growing influence of the rationalism in American thought that continues to fuel misguided ideas about freedom. A schoolteacher who had embraced rationalism and taught in the area English school, led an effort to expel to Bergmann from Ebenezer. The effort failed but indicted the extent to which rationalist forces were making an impact even locally. Dissension among Christian groups lent support to the denigration of traditional religion. Bergmann considers the Lutheran Church, particularly in the American South, to be especially in disrepair due to the emphasis placed by clergy for purity of doctrine over true Christian living.
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After several years in Georgia, Bergmann has become more familiar with his surroundings, including, the cultural, social, political landscape, along with the religious situation in his new land. While intending to remain neutral on the question of whether the American or British positions had been justified in the Revolutionary War, he clearly has come to believe that American notions of freedom were misguided and even ruinous to the promotion of morality and for Christian life in particular. He notes attentively the growth of Baptists and Methodists in Georgia in the early years after the Revolution but also is alarmed by the infiltration of “Rationalists” and “free-spirits” even into to the highest levels of government. Concerns about possible conflicts with Creek Indians also remains a concern as the decade approaches its end. Prospects for his personal circumstances also remain bleak, yet Bergmann is committed to remaining at his place of call, at least to the end of his initial six-year appointment.
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Bergmann’s ministry in Ebenezer was the continuation of a story that begin when a small group of Lutheran religious exiles from Salzburg settled in the colony of Georgia in 1734 under the leadership of Johann Martin Boltzius. Throughout its early history, the community was supported by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in London, England, and the A.H. Francke’s Orphan House in Halle, Germany. After some early success, as well as growth through the later arrival of additional German speaking immigrants, the community suffered decline, in large part due to internal strife resulting from a conflict between two later pastors and as a result of damage suffered in the Revolutionary War. Bergmann, who had been trained in Germany and influenced by the pietistic tradition of the Halle Orphan House, was selected after a long search and with some reservation by at least one of his superiors, to come to America to take charge of the shattered community and restore it to order.
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Bergmann reports about the religious situation in the United States and offers his perspective on the clergy of other denominations in Savannah, as well as the relationships among different denominations. He reviews some of the history of Ebenezer’s past that sheds light on its present circumstances. He reports the rapid growth of Georgia’s population and the addition of new counties in the state. Orders are placed for books and medicines that are highly desired by members of the community.
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A hurricane and other unusual weather events bring devastation to the area. A planned slave uprising is averted shortly before it occurs. Camp meetings associated with the Second Great Awakening continue. Fear spreads that America may be dragged into the Napoleonic wars plaguing Europe. Divisions and doctrinal arguments across Christian denominations provide more fodder for critics.
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The election of Thomas Jefferson as president brings attention to Jefferson’s religious views and raises questions about his religious orthodoxy. At the same time, his commitment to religious freedom allows the opportunity for growth among Methodists and Baptists who tended to view Jefferson favorably. Thomas Paine has returned to America where his influence remains great. Atheism is on the rise while government authorities remain inattentive to religious concerns. On the other hand, religious revival, through the influence of the Second Great Awakening, has become evident even in Georgia through the appearance of camp meetings. A court decision in the matter of the Rabenhorst will has allowed the recovery of some assets.
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