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Jean Frederic Ostervald

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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JEAN FREDERIC OSTERVALD (1663-1747), Swiss Protestant divine, was born at Neuchatel on the 25th of November 1663. He was educated at Zurich and at Saumur (where he graduated), studied theology at Orleans under Claude Pajon, at Paris under Jean Claude and at Geneva under Louis Tronchin, and was ordained to the ministry in his native place in 1683. As preacher, pastor, lecturer and author, he attained a position of great influence in his day, he and his friends, J. A. Turretin of Geneva and S. Werenfels (1657-1740) of Basel, forming what was once called the "Swiss triumvirate." He was thought to show a leaning towards Socinianism and Arminianism. He died on the 14th of April 1747.

His principal works are Traite des sources de la corruption qui rbgne aujourd'hui parmi les Chretiens (1700), translated into English, Dutch and German, practically a plea for a more ethical and less doctrinal type of Christianity; Catechisme ou instruction dans la religion chretienne (1702), also translated into English, Dutch and German; Traite contre l'impurete (1707); Sermons sur divers textes (1722-1724); Theologiae compendium (1739); and Traduction de la Bible (1724). All his writings attained great popularity among French Protestants; many were translated into various languages; and "Ostervald's Bible," a revision of the French translation, in particular, was long well known and much valued in Britain.