Dr.

Schoentube:GossnersHeartofManoriginreception

7thLectureatGossnerTheologicalCollege,Ranchi
28.10.2014

GossnersHeartofManoriginreception1

1.BiographicalBackground
JohannesEvangelistaGossnerwasbornin1773inasmalltowninHausenintheBaden
WrttembergregionofGermany.HegrewupinaCatholicfamily.
AfterstudyingtheologyJohannesGossnercameintocontactwiththeRevival
movement.MainlyhesoughtcontactwiththeBaselChristianSociety(Baseler
Christentumsgesellschaft).Foundedin1780,thesocietywantedtoworkagainstthe
influenceoftheideathatEnlightenmentcouldbegainedthroughthedisseminationof
tractates.
Insteadofprovidinglogicalexplanationsofthebibleanditscontents,thefriendsofthe
BaselChristiansocietybelievedinaneducationoftheheart.Thisisreflectedinthetitle
oftheirmagazine:"CollectionsforloversofChristianTruthandGodliness"
(SammlungenfrLiebhaberchristlicherWahrheit).Themagazinehasappearedevery
monthsince1786.
In1811Gossnerwassecretaryofthissocietyforseveralmonths.Heevenconsideredat
thistimetoconverttotheLutheranfaith.Buthecamebackafterafewmonthsto
Munich,whereheworkedasacatholicchaplainandpriest.Inspiredbytheworkin
Basel,GossnerwroteaseriesofsmallerspiritualwritingsduringthisMunichperiod.
ThisincludesthesocalledHeartbooklet,whichwaspublishedinlatesummer1812.
Thefulltitleis:

"HeartbookletorthehumanheartatempleofGodoraworkshopofSatanin10pictures
representedsymbolicallyforthepromotionandrevivalofaChristianMind"2

ThebookisstilloneofthemostsuccessfulChristianwritings.Whatdoesitcontain?

2.Content
Thebookconsistsof10devotionsbasedonengravings.Gossnerwantedtoshowwhat
happensinthesoulorinthehumanheartifChristmovesintoit.Theheartit
representstheinnermanisdisproportionallylargeintheillustrations,andis
surmountedbytheheadofthebeliever.TheheadcanbeseenlikeaspiritualSelfi.

InthefirstdevotionGossnerdescribes,whatishappeninginsideaman,whoisruledby
sin.AccordingtoCatholictraditionthesevendeadlysins,symbolizedbyanimals,were
depictedintheheart.The2nd5thdevotionsshowhowtheHolySpiritmovesintothe
heartandhowthesevendeadlysinsarebanishedfromtheheartbyenteringtheseven
virtuesintheirplace.Nowonemightthinkthatthegoalhasbeenreached.Butnowthe

1
ThelectureisinspiredbyDr.WimvanDongen(Amsterdam)andProf.SabineMdersheim
(Madison/Wisc.).TheypresentsomeoftheheredescribedinsightsattheConferrenceoftheInternational
EmblemSocietyinKiel2014.
2
HerzbchleinoderdasHerzdesMenscheneinTempelGottesodereineWerkstattdesSatansin10
FigurensinnbildlichdargestelltzurBefrderungundErweckungchristlichenSinnes

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 Dr.Schoentube:GossnersHeartofManoriginreception

realdanger,therealfightbegins.Thesixthdevotiondescribeshowthefaithbecomes
sleepy.Andintheseventhimagethedevilhastakenitsplaceintheheartagain.Then
theninthandtenthdevotionshowineachcase,whathappensindeathforthegodless
manandfortheonewhoremainstruetohisfaith.ItisasifGossnerwantstosay:You
candecidewhichwayyouwanttogoasaChristianatanytime.However,youshould
considerwhattheresultwillbeintheend.
ThissecondpartoftheHeartofManwasprobablymotivatedbythewishtopublish
withinthebookwiththefamoustwowaysimageofthebroadandthenarrowwayby
CharlotteReihlen.Italsodatesfromthisperiod.Wewillcomebacktothispicturelater.

3.ControversyabouttheHeartofMan
TheHeartofMan,whenitwasfirstpublishedfacedacontroversialdebate.
In1817,fiveyearsafterthefirsteditioncameout,Gossnerwassummonedregarding
thispublicationbeforetheDean'sOffice,whichthenwasresponsibleforCatholic
teachingsupervision.TheirquestionsweremainlyabouttheimagesoftheHeartof
Man.Gossnerreplies:

"Thistruthisinthebook:rational,scriptural,Christian,catholic;Thewholebook
containsnothingotherthantheclearest,mostusefultruths,andIurgeeverytheologian,
whetherheisCatholic,LutheranorCalvinist,totryanddisproveevenoneofthem.
.Buttheengravingsareabsurdandinsultingtothezeitgeist(thespiritofthetime)!
Wellthatmaybe.ButthespiritofthetimeisnottheHolySpirit...Andthen
1.Theengravingsconveynothingotherthanthetextbecausethetextisonlyan
explanationoftheengraving
2.Theyareonlysymbols(Sinnbild)ofthetruth...Nofarmerissostupidthathethinksit
isreallysointhebody;thesimplemindedinthecountryknowthattheseengravings
aremerelyusefultosymbolisethedestructionofaman,whoisaslavetohispassions...
3.IhavethousandsofexampleswhereSymbolshaveworkedeffectivelyandspeakto
theheartofsensitivepeople.Evenpeople,whocannotreadthetext,canunderstandthe
symbols,andthepicturesarethemostinstructivepartofthebook."3

ThedetailedquotationtellsatonehandofGossnersearlyinterdenominationalattitude
ifheurgesCatholic,LutheranandCalvinisttheologianstorefuteinthetruthsofthe
book.Herewemeetsomething,whichwaslaterconfirmedthroughanecdote.As
Gossnerwasaskedatapolicestationwhichdenominationhebelongedto,whether
LutheranorCalvinistorCatholic.Hereplied:"Christian."

OntheotherhandGossnersharestheaestheticassessment,thattheimageswere
"absurdandinsultingtothezeitgeist(thespiritofthetime)."Heseesinthepictures
moreaneducationalfunction.Rightaway,inhisfirstpoint,heprovidesaninsightinto
therelationshipbetweenwordandimage.Itisnotthattheimagesreplacethescripture
forthelayman,aswassaidbyGregorytheGreat.4Butthetextsexplainanddeepenthe
understandingoftheimages.Thetextsaresubordinatetothepictures,sothatthe
imagesforsomereadersarethe"mostinstructive"ofall.Gossnerusedhereseveral
timesthetermsinnbild,whichisdifficulttotranslate.Sinnbildpicturessymbolize
something,sothepicturesdonottellabiblicalstory,butexpressthetruthoffaithina

3
JohannDettloffProchnow,JohannesGonerBiographieausTagebchernundBriefen,ErsterTheil,S.
276.
4
Quodlegentibusscripturahocpreastatidiotispictura.

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 Dr.Schoentube:GossnersHeartofManoriginreception

symbolic,allegoricalormetaphoricalway.
AtthesametimeheadmitsthatthenatureoftheseSinnbilderdonotmatchthe
zeitgeist(thespiritofthetime).Symbolshadapparentlygoneoutoffashion.

3.Originoftheimages

Overahundredyearsearlier,literaturewithspiritualsymbolicimagesflourishedin
Europe."Sinnbild"wasatthattimeasynonymoustermfortheseemblems.The
emblematicwritingwasaliterarygenre,expressingameaningfultruthbylinkingimage
andtexttogether.TheMilaneselawyerAndreasAlciato1530publishedthefirstemblem
book,Emblematumliber.5Ittriggeredawideresonanceinthe16thand17thcentury.
Anemblemconsistsgenerallyofthreeparts,aheading(inscriptio),acuriousor
remarkableimage(pictura),andanexplanatorypoem(subscriptio).Bylinkingthethree
elements,thereaderwasabletostudymoral,philosophicalorspiritualissues.

InGossnersHeartofMenwecanrecognisealateformofthisemblembook.Thethree
partstructureisgivenbytheinclusionofthedevotions.Withoutthedevotionsyou
cannotinterpretthepicturesinaproperway.Howevertextandimagerelatetoeach
otherinGossnersbook.ButwheredidGossnerfindtheseemblems?

3.1.Salver
Gossnerwritesintheprefacetohislittlebook:

"ThisbookletwastranslatedfromFrenchandwaspublishedin1732inWurzburgbythe
Universityengraver.Thetitleofthebookletwas:"SpiritualMirrorofMoral,inwhich
everyhealingseekingChristianseeinghimself,recognizesthestatusofhissoulandcan
decidehowtoconducthislife"....Since1732alongtimehaspassedandtasteshave
changedalotbutnotthetruth,itwillremainforeverimmutable..."

Therefore,JohannesGossnerhasinventedneithertheengravingsnorthetexts.Hehas
republishedandreeditedabook.Hereferstoanunspecified"SpiritualMirrorof
Moral".ItisadevotionalbookfromtheengraverJohannSalver(16701738)from
Wrzburg.Thebookwaspublishedin1733.Gossnerisnotentirelycorrectinthetitle.It
isnotthe"SpiritualmirrorofMoral"(GeistlicherSittenspiegel),butthe"SpiritualMirror
oftheSoul."(GeistlicherSeelenspiegel).6

5
Severaleditionscanbefoundon:http://www.emblems.arts.gla.ac.uk/alciato/
6
GeistlicherSeelenspiegel,inwelchemeinjederseinesHeylsbegierigerChristenmenschsichersehen,den
StandseinerSeelenerkennenundseinenLebenswandel,zuseinemHeylntzlichdanacheinrichtenkann,
Wrzburg1733,Vd1812648582001

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 Dr.Schoentube:GossnersHeartofManoriginreception

SalverGeistlicherSeelenspiegel1732 GossnerHerzbchlein1812

Gossnerdidnottransferallofthe12imagesfromSalver.Gossnerselectedtouse10of
theillustrations.Furthermoreherevisedthetextsofthedevotions.Theomissionof2
imageswiththeirdevotionsisveryinteresting.Gossnerskippedthe9thdevotionit
showsthepunishingtormentsofthesoulinhellaswellasthe12ththedevotion,7
whichshowshowthesoulsofthesinnersarefriedinthefireandhowthepiousare
fishedoutofthehellfire.8

Thisomissionisquitetheologicallymotivated.ObviouslyGossnerfoundthata
representationofthepunishmentsofhellwasdispensable.Maybehehadasimilar
experienceasMartinLuther,whowasfrightenedbythesepictures.Itcanbepresumed,
thatGossnerthroughtheseomissionsinthenewbookletwasadaptingitscontentsto
suittheactualzeitgeist.Theabnegationofthefrighteningpunishingimagesleadsto
anotherreadingofthesequenceoftheimages.Thepresenceofthespirituallifeismore
reflectiveratherthandwellingonthepossibleconsequencesinhellandheaven.The
bookletinthisabbreviatedversionasksthereaderthequestion:WhoamIandwho
reignsinmyheart?insteadofthreatening:Lookwhatwillhappenifyoufollowabad
wayoflife.Fromthisbackground,itissomehowclearwhyGossnercallsthebook"Heart
Booklet"orintheEnglishversionHeartofMen.Heisconcernedwiththespiritualself
reflectionintheheart.9

ButalsoSalverdidnotinventthedevotionsandengravings.

7
PeterDaly,TheEmbleminEarlyModernEurope,ContributionstotheTheoryofEmblem,Ashgate2014,
p.218.DalydiscoveredwhichillustrationsGrossnerselected.HestatesthatGossnerdidnotuseplates5
and12.ThedifferencewithmynumberingarisesbecauseIusedadifferenteditionoftheworks.
8
Salver,Seelenspiegel,S.6064.
9
Gossner'schangesneedmoredetailedresearchbycomparinghiseditionwiththesource.Hereonlyone
obviousexampleismentioned.

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 Dr.Schoentube:GossnersHeartofManoriginreception

3.2.MiroirdePechuerHuby,Nobletz
Salverhad,asGossneralreadymentioned,obviouslytranslatedthebookfromFrench.
Around1730inFrancedifferenteditionsofananonymouslypublishedmirrorofthe
heart,asocalled"MiroirdePechuer"10wereincirculation.

Thisbookletreferstoa1675publishedbookentitled"Lesimagesmoralesetleur
explication."ItwasmainlyusedinBrittanybytheJesuitstorecatholicizethisarea.
Therefore,thisbookwasattributedtotwoclergy,whoworkedthere,theJesuitVincent
Huby(16081693)andhispredecessortheDominicanMichelLeNobletz(15771652).
NobletztriedtobringthepeoplebacktotheCatholicChurchbypreachinginBreton(the
languageofBrittany).Healsousedthepaintedchartsoreducationalboardswhich
whereproducedbyMargueriteAlainLestobec.Thepictureswerebasedonthe
emblematictradition.ThesesocalledTaollenouservedhimasaspeciallydesigned
teachingmethod.Thepanelswereinitiallynotprinted,butpaintedonwoodenpanels.
Todayonly1214Taollenouhavesurvivedfromapproximately70to100piecesin
formertimes.TheyaretreasuredatthediocesantownofQuimper.Thepreservedplates
includenotonlytheheartemblems,buttheyhavealsooneplatewhichmayhavebeena
sourceforCharlotteReihlenstwowaysimageofthebroadandthenarrowway.
Itshowsthebroadandthenarrowgateenteringtheworldandtheconsequences.Tothe
broadwaybelongsTheatre,Cinema,drinking,dancingalsotherailway(!)anditleadsin
tohell.ThenarrowwayisgoingtochurchandSundayschoolanddiaconalservice
whichleadsdirectlyintotheheavenlyJerusalem.Thepicturecontainsalotofbiblical
textsalongthetwodifferentways.Todiscoverthatthispictureisprobablylinkedtothe
taollenouisveryremarkable,becauseinthe19thcentury,GossnersHeartofMenwas
sometimespublishedwiththeTwoWaysimageasatitle.

10
LeMiroirdepechuer,17391754,BibliothquenationaledeFrance,dpartementRservedeslivres
rares,RESPYE2510,http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb334885980

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 Dr.Schoentube:GossnersHeartofManoriginreception

Letuscomebacktotheemblematicdepictionoftheheart.NobletzandLestobecwere
inspiredbyaspecialemblematictradition.Theirinspirationmusthavecomefromthe
AntwerpengraverAnthonyWierix.Hewasthefirstone,whorepresentedsymbolically
theinneremotionsoftheheartasanimageofthehumansoul.Wierixpublishedin1595
acyclewith9engravingswiththetitleThesacredheartofthelovingJesus

SoifwedrawtogetherthesourcesofGossnersHeartofMen.Wecancombineitinone
sentence:
GossnersBookwasareeditionofSalversMirroroftheSoul,
whichwasitselfatranslationofananonymousFrenchdevotionalbook,
whichwasitselfattributedtoaJesuitteachingmethodinBrittany,wheremissions
chartswerefound

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 Dr.Schoentube:GossnersHeartofManoriginreception

whichareinspiredbytheEmblematicdepictionoftheheartfromtheNetherlands.

GossnersHeartofMenappearstostemfromaJesuittradition,whichwasusedbythe
CounterReformation.ItisremarkablethatGossnersBookisstillinusetoday,
especiallyinProtestantmissionaryworkwithanincredibledistribution.
PossiblyGossnersreformulateddevotionsandhisstrategyofomittingthe
representationsofpunishmentsofthehellwerethekeytothesuccessofthebooklet.

4.Reception

4.1.AdaptationtotheCulturalBackground
ThereceptionoftheHeartofMenisverydifficulttounderstand.ThefirstEnglish
translationappearsin1822inPennsylvania.Germanimmigrantcommunitieshad
broughtthebooklettoAmerica.Intheperiodjustafterthis,avastnumberofGerman
andEnglisheditionsofthebookletappearedinAmerica.

VariouseditionsofthebookinwereusedtogreateffectbytheMissionin19thand20th
century.InthisregardnumerousexamplescanbefoundinthelibraryoftheGossner
Mission.Theimagesweremodifiedandadaptedtotheculturalrealities.Thiscanbe
seennotonlyonthesurmountedhumanhead.Forexample,eventheanimalsthat
symbolizedtheDeadlySinswereculturallyadjusteddependingonthecontext.
AninsightmightbeseenintheTamileditionof1932:

"Heartruledbythesevendeadlysins,"from GossnersHerzbchlein1815
Man'sHeart,ReverendDavidAsante,trans.,
printedfortheBaselMissionarySociety(Basel,
1874).CourtesyofMission21Archives,Basel.

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 Dr.Schoentube:GossnersHeartofManoriginreception

Aproudlionreplacesthepeacock,
Aratreplacestheturtle,
Anavariciouselephant/dungbeetlereplacestheEuropeantoad,
Adogreplacestheangryleopard,
andavulturereplacestheenvioussnake.

Howeverthevarioususesofthetraditionofillustrationinthedifferentculturalcontexts
needstobemoreaccuratelyresearched.
AspecialtreasureofourlibraryisahandcolouredUrdueditioninLatinscript.Again
wenoticeculturaladaptationsbyrecognisingtheinfluenceoftheArabiantraditionof
bookpainting.

4.2.Gschwend

ThehistoryofHeartofMantookanewturnparticularlyinthe20thand21st
centuries.ThisislinkedwiththestoryofJ.R.Gschwend.TheSwisssoldierJ.R.
GschwendwascapturedbytheGermansintheFirstWorldWarandundersuspicionof
espionagewassentencedtodeath.Inhisprisoncell,heexperiencedaconversiontoGod
andhedecidedtoserveGodinanextraordinaryway.WhentheGermansreleasedhim
withoutanyexplanation,hestartedstudyingtobecomeapastor.In1921hetravelledto
Africaandfoundedin1935astillexistingmissionpublishinghouse,theAllNations
GospelPublishers.ThebestsellerfromthebeginningwastheHeartofMeninvarious
translations.By1929,Gschwendhadrewrittenthetextsofthedevotion,butwithout
mentioninghissourceasJohannesGossner.Sincethen,thebookhasbeenpublishedin
450languages.Annuallytherewerethirtynewtranslationsadded.International
emblematicspecialist,whoobservingthescene,estimatethenumberofcopiesiseasily
inMillions.11

SimilartotheTallenouinBrittany,theimagesofGschwendarealsousedasplatesfor
Evangelisation.IntheInternettoday,youwillfindalsoseveralfilmsontheuseofthe
platesheartofmen.

11
SabineMdersheimandWimvanDongen,attheninthconferenceoftheInternationalSocietyof
EmblemStudiesinKiel2014,presentedvariouseditionsofGschwendforseveralcountries.

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5. Finalreflection

ThehistoryofHeartofMenisnotfinishedyet.Somequestionsremainunclear.Thus,the
varioustraditionaltypesofillustrationwillneedtobedescribedinmoredetail,looking
attheattemptsmadeatenculturation.Furthermore,thechangesinthetextneedtobe
researched,boththoseundertakenbyGossnerandbyGschwend.Thecombinationof
imageandtextisthereasonforthesuccessofthebook.Eventilltoday,itisprobably,
aftertheBible,oneoftheworld'smostpopularbooksofChristianliterature.