Sixteen Discourses on the Redemption of Man by the Death of Christ

These sixteen sermons represent Count Nicolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf's mature theological reflection on Christ's atoning work, delivered in 1739 to the Moravian community at Herrnhut. As the spiritual leader of the renewed Moravian Church, Zinzendorf preached these discourses during a period when the community was establishing its distinctive theological identity while facing criticism from Lutheran orthodoxy for their intense devotion to Christ's suffering.

Zinzendorf develops a deeply personal and affective theology of the cross that emphasizes the believer's intimate union with the crucified Savior. Rather than abstract doctrinal formulations, he presents redemption as a lived reality experienced through contemplation of Christ's wounds and blood. The discourses move systematically through the meaning of Christ's death, but always return to the experiential knowledge of salvation that comes through what Zinzendorf calls "feeling faith." He argues that true Christianity is not merely intellectual assent to propositions about atonement, but a heart-transformation that occurs when believers enter imaginatively and emotionally into Christ's passion. The sermons reveal Zinzendorf's distinctive "blood and wounds" theology, which would become central to Moravian spirituality.

These discourses proved foundational for Moravian missionary theology and influenced the broader Pietist movement's emphasis on personal religious experience. They offer insight into eighteenth-century debates about the relationship between doctrine and devotion, and they demonstrate how one community sought to maintain both theological rigor and passionate spirituality. Readers interested in Pietist theology, Moravian history, or the development of experiential Christianity will find these sermons essential. Those uncomfortable with highly affective religious language or seeking systematic doctrinal exposition should approach cautiously.