Talk:Hryhorii Skovoroda/Archives/ 2

Influence of pietism and mysticism, Halle connection

Ушкуйник made an addition of pietism's influence on Skovoroda and I wanted to share some descriptions regarding pietism, the University of Halle, and Todorsky (Skovoroda's teacher in German, Greek, and Hebrew).

(1)Chopyk writes about Todorsky, pg 12:

"Skovoroda's first exciting teacher in the Academy, who rose to almost exotic stature in the empire, was Simon Todorsky (1701-1754). Todorsky was an alumnus of the Academy, who went to study in Germany in 1738, and after a period of ten years returned to the Academy to teach German, Greek, and Hebrew. Todorsky studied classical and Near Eastern languages in Halle under the famous professor Johann Heinrich Michaelis at the newly organized Collegium Orientale Theologicum.

By the time of Todorsky's stay in Germany, German Pietism had become a well established movement. Its center was in Halle. A short time before Todorsky came to Halle, the Pietist activities there made themselves known all over Europe. It was in the year 1723, when the German Pietists pressured their king to expel then famous professor Chrisitian Wolff from Halle University, for one time, in 1721, he presented a controversial lecture 'On the Practical Philosophy of the Chinese.' He argued that the moral maxims of Confucius were a proof of the ability of natural reason to attain moral truth. The Pietists charged that professor Wolff was teaching fatalism and atheism at the university, and consequently demanded his expulsion. They succeeded. Professor Wolff was hurriedly removed (by King's orders) from Halle and moved to Marburg University. The spirit of Christian zeal stayed in Halle from some time afterwards, even during the time when Todorsky was there. Overwhelmed by this spirit, Todorsky published in Halle his Russian translation of Johann Arndt's work 'The True Christian' in 1735. This opus made him a celebrity of sorts." ("In the second half of the 1740s Professor Christian Wolff was indeed back in Halle. He received the Royal Nobility distinction and was appointed president of the University of Halle." pg 35)

(2)Ihor Kutash (1986, pg 5) writes about Skovoroda and pietism:

"Particularly attractive to Skovoroda were the ideas of German pietism and mysticism. The mystical writer Jacob Boehme had a great influence upon him during his studies. Skovoroda had studied under Bishop Simon Todorsky (1700-1754), who had spent ten years in the West before coming to teach at the Kyiv Academy, during which time he had studied at the University of Halle, a centre of pietistic thought. It must be noted that, through the efforts of Kyiv Archbishop ... Raphael Zabrovsky (1677-1747), a chair of the German language had been established at the academy the very year that Skovoroda had entered it. It appears from Skovoroda's writings that he had read the work of Angelus Silesius and Valentin Weigel, as well as Ardnt's 'On True Christianity.'"

The 2nd reference is: Ihor Kutash, PhD Dissertation, McGill University, Montreal. 1986.

These could be added as sources to the wiki article to describe Skovoroda's interest in pietism and his connection to Todorsky and Halle. Svyatver (talk) 20:50, 22 December 2015 (UTC)