Emanuel Vogel Gerhart ( Freeburg, Pennsylvania, 13 June 1817 –

Lancaster, Pennsylvania Lancaster, ( ; pdc, Lengeschder) is a city in and the county seat of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It is one of the oldest inland cities in the United States. With a population at the 2020 census of 58,039, it ranks 11th in population amon ...

, 6 May 1904) was an American minister of the

German Reformed Church German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

and first president of

Franklin and Marshall College Franklin & Marshall College (F&M) is a private liberal arts college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It employs 175 full-time faculty members and has a student body of approximately 2,400 full-time students. It was founded upon the merger of Frankli ...

Early life and education

Gerhart was born on June 13, 1817, in Freeburg,

Snyder County, Pennsylvania Snyder County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 39,736. The county seat is Middleburg. Snyder County was formed in 1855 from parts of Union County. Snyder County comprises the Selin ...

. His parents were the Reverend Isaac Gerhart (1788–1865) and Sarah Vogel Gerhart (1790–1861). Gerhart's great-grandfather, Peter Gerhart, emigrated from the town of

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

, France, to

Bucks County Bucks County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 646,538, making it the fourth-most populous county in Pennsylvania. Its county seat is Doylestown. The county is named after the English ...

, Pennsylvania, in the early 18th century. Emmanuel Gerhart's mother, of French descent, grew up in Philadelphia but was born in Northhampton, PA, while his father led ministries of

German Reformed The Evangelical and Reformed Church (E&R) was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. It was formed in 1934 by the merger of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS) with the Evangelical Synod of North America (ESNA). A m ...

churches in several counties, including Union County, Snyder County, and Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In the early years of his education, Gerhart went to the Classical Institution of the Reformed Church in York, Pennsylvania, under the leadership of Rev. Frederich Rauch. The school included a rigorous training in philosophy, history, math, science, Greek and Latin based on the German education system. At this school, Gerhart was one of the first members and developers of the Diagnothian Literary Society in 1835. The school he attended moved to Mercersburg in 1836 and was established as Marshall College (later to become

). Gerhart would graduate from Marshall College in 1838 and from Mercersburg Theological Seminary in 1841. At the seminary, Gerhart studied under

Frederick Augustus Rauch Frederick Augustus Rauch n Germany, Friedrich August Rauch(27 July 1806, Hesse-Darmstadt - 2 March 1841, Mercersburg, Pennsylvania) was an educator and the founding president of Marshall College. He was a professor of systematic theology and is o ...

and

John Williamson Nevin John Williamson Nevin (February 20, 1803June 6, 1886), was an American theologian and educationalist. He was born in the Cumberland Valley, near Shippensburg, Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He was the father of noted sculptor and poet Blanche Nev ...

, who were leading figures in the founding of Mercersburg Theology. During this time, Gerhart became a teacher at the Preparatory Department of Education and at the school for young women.

Pastorship and professorship

Gerhart began his ministry work during his studies at seminary and was approved by the Synod of the Reformed Church to minister in Reading, Pennsylvania. In 1849, Gerhart worked with the First Reformed Church in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

, Ohio. There he ministered to German immigrants and later traveled various states including Kentucky, Indiana, and Wisconsin to form new congregations. Starting in 1843, Gerhart would become an elected representative to the various church Synods and the General

Synod A synod () is a council of a Christian denomination, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. The word ''wikt:synod, synod'' comes from the meaning "assembly" or "meeting" and is analogous with the Latin ...

in Baltimore. He acted as president of

Heidelberg College Heidelberg University is a private university in Tiffin, Ohio. Founded in 1850, it was known as Heidelberg College until 1889 and from 1926 to 2009. It is affiliated with the United Church of Christ. History Heidelberg University was founded b ...

in 1851, after which he became professor of theology in the Theological

Seminary A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...

Tiffin Tiffin is an Indian English word for a type of meal. It refers to a light breakfast or a light tea-time meal at about 3 p.m., consisting of typical tea-time foods. In certain parts of India, it can also refer to the midday luncheon or, in s ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

, whence he was called to the presidency of

in 1855, where he held the title as Professor of Mental and

Moral Philosophy Ethics or moral philosophy is a branch of philosophy that "involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior".''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy'' The field of ethics, along with aesthetics, concerns ma ...

. As president, Gerhart campaigned for the college to decrease debts and increase the student body and lead the college during the time of the Civil War. In 1868, he was appointed professor of

Systematic Theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topi ...

at Mercersburg Theological Seminary, today called

Lancaster Theological Seminary Lancaster Theological Seminary is a seminary of the United Church of Christ in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1825 by members of the German Reformed Church in the United States to provide theological education for prospective clergy an ...

. He would continue there as president and professor for the rest of his life. Gerhart was also the editor of the ''Mercerbsburg Review'' journal for several years. During his time as professor and president, Gerhart delivered several speeches. He was known to be very gregarious and articulate in speech. According to the Alumni Association of Franklin and Marshall, "his unruffled manner, his deliberateness of speech and the logical cast of his mind always came into service." He was said to have displayed a particular "energy and endurance" and had a strong and engaging presence at college events and games.

Works

Gerhart's works include over 60 articles published at the ''Mercersburg Review'' and the following: *''Relation of Religion and Science: An Address, Delivered before the Alumni Association of Marshall College'' (1842) *''An Introduction to the Study of Philosophy with an Outline Treatise on Logic'' (1857) *''Christ the Source of Salvation'', Lancaster, PA: Inquirer Printing and Publishing Company (1875) *''Lectures on the Heidelberg Catechism'', Lancaster, PA: Lecture Pringint Society of the Theological Seminary of the Reformed Church (1891) *''Prolegomena to Christian Dogmatics'' (1891) *''Institutes of Christian Religion'' (1891, 1894)

Notes

References

* ''Dictionary of Early American Philosophers.'' (2012). United Kingdom: Bloomsbury Publishing. * Evans, W. B. (2019).&nbs
A Companion to the Mercersburg Theology: Evangelical Catholicism in the Mid-Nineteenth Century.
nbsp;United States: Wipf and Stock Publishers. * Gerhart, Emanuel V.
''Christocentric Reformed Theology in Nineteenth-Century America: Key Writings of Emanuel V. Gerhart''.
Edited by Annette G. Aubert. Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2021. {{DEFAULTSORT:Gerhart, Emanuel Vogel 1817 births 1904 deaths American philosophers American theologians Presidents of Franklin & Marshall College Heidelberg University (Ohio) Franklin & Marshall College alumni Reformed Church in America members People from Snyder County, Pennsylvania

Early life and education

Pastorship and professorship

Works

See also

Notes

References