Christian Fürchtegott Gellert

Christian Fuerchtegott Gellert was a German poet, educator, and hymn writer associated with the Enlightenment era of eighteenth century Lutheranism. Born in Saxony, he studied theology at the University of Leipzig and later became a respected professor of philosophy and poetry. Gellert wrote moral and devotional poetry that sought to combine Christian faith with the literary ideals of the Enlightenment. Several of his hymns were included in Lutheran hymnals and were valued for their clarity and reflective tone. One of his best known texts is Jesus Lives Thy Terrors Now, which celebrates the resurrection of Christ and the hope of eternal life. Gellert work illustrates how hymn writing continued to develop within the intellectual context of eighteenth century Protestant Europe.