# John Christopher Hartwick

Part of a series on :
Lutheranism :
Background
Christianity
Start of the Reformation
Reformation
Protestantism :
Doctrine and theology
Bible
Old Testament
New Testament
Creeds
Apostles' Creed
Nicene Creed
Athanasian Creed
Book of Concord
Augsburg Confession
Apology of the Augsburg Confession
Luther's Small / Large Catechism
Smalcald Articles
Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope
Formula of Concord
Distinctive theological concepts
Theology of Martin Luther
Justification
Law and Gospel
Sola gratia
Sola scriptura
Christology
Sanctification
Two kingdoms
catholicity
Two states of the Church
Priesthood of all believers
Divine Providence
Marian theology
Theology of the Cross
Sacramental Union
Other relevant topics
Homosexuality :
Sacraments and worship
Baptism
Eucharist
Confession
Confirmation
Matrimony
Anointing of the Sick
Holy Orders
Divine Service
Matins
Vespers
Liturgical calendar
Calendar of saints
Lutheran hymn
Lutheran hymnwriters
Normative principle
Lutheran art :
Organization
Confessional Evangelical Lutheran Conference
Global Confessional & Missional Lutheran Forum
International Lutheran Council
Lutheran World Federation
Denominations
Lutheranism by region :
Movements
History of Lutheranism
Crypto-Lutherans
Gnesio-Lutherans
Lutheran orthodoxy
Pietists
Radical Pietism
Haugeans
Laestadians
Finnish Awakening
Old Lutherans
Neo-Lutherans
High church Lutherans
Confessional Lutheranism :
Key figuresMissionaries
John Campanius
Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg
Hans Egede
Johann Heinrich Callenberg
Johann Phillip Fabricius
Paul Henkel
John Christian Frederick Heyer
Karl Graul
Martti Rautanen
Wilhelm Sihler
F. C. D. Wyneken
Hans Paludan Smith Schreuder
Lars Olsen Skrefsrud
Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen
Onesimos Nesib
Paul Olaf Bodding
Johann Flierl
Christian Keyser
Jens Christensen
Bible Translators
Martin Luther
Casiodoro de Reina
Kjell Magne Yri
Onesimos Nesib
Aster Ganno
Kristian Osvald Viderø
Jákup Dahl
Bartholomäus Ziegenbalg
Johann Phillip Fabricius
William Tyndale
John Rogers
George Constantine
Jozef Roháček
Johannes Avetaranian
Guðbrandur Þorláksson
Ludvig Olsen Fossum
Hans Egede / Paul Egede
Otto Fabricius
Nils Vibe Stockfleth
Olaus Petri / Laurentius Petri
Martti Rautanen
Primož Trubar
Jurij Dalmatin
Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen
Sebastian Krelj
Mikael Agricola
Norwegian Bible Society
Swedish Bible Society
Samuel Ludwik Zasadius
Stanislovas Rapolionis
Laurentius Andreae
Hans Tausen
Olaf M. Norlie
Jonas Bretkūnas
Hans Paludan Smith Schreuder
Antonio Brucioli
Mikołaj Jakubica
Matthias Bel
Johann Ernst Glück
William F. Beck
Theologians
Martin Luther / Katharina von Bora
Philip Melanchthon
Johannes Bugenhagen
Johannes Brenz
Justus Jonas
Hans Tausen
Laurentius Petri
Olaus Petri
Mikael Agricola
Matthias Flacius
Martin Chemnitz
Johann Gerhard
Abraham Calovius
Johannes Andreas Quenstedt
Johann Wilhelm Baier
Philipp Spener
David Hollaz
August Hermann Francke
Henry Muhlenberg
Lars Levi Laestadius
Charles Porterfield Krauth
C. F. W. Walther
Søren Kierkegaard
Albrecht Ritschl
Wilhelm Herrmann
F. W. Stellhorn
Rudolf Otto
Ernst Troeltsch
Rudolf Bultmann
Paul Tillich
Hermann Sasse
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Wolfhart Pannenberg
Robert Jenson :
vte :
John Christopher Hartwick (January 6, 1714 – July 17, 1796) was an American Lutheran minister in Colonial America and founder of Hartwick College.

## Background

Hartwick was a native of the dukedom of Saxe-Gotha in the province of Thuringia in Germany and studied at the University of Halle. He was educated in the Lutheran Pietism movement. He was ordained a Lutheran Minister in the German Trinity Church of London on November 24, 1745.
Inspired to perform missionary work in the North American Colonies, Hartwick emigrated in 1746 to serve as a missionary to the German settlers in and around Rhinebeck in New York’s Hudson Valley.
He was an eccentric idealist and intolerant of parishioner's vices, requiring them to sign a promise that they would "forswear shooting, horse-racing, boozing, and dancing." He was forcefully removed from his first parish by fellow ministers of the area, and in his preaching career until 1691 moved around the northern colonies, looking to find congregations that matched his pious instructions.
In 1764 Hartwick wrote an article condemning the death penalty for theft as contrary to divine law.

## New Jerusalem

Hartwick felt that allowing common persons to own land and live far from one another was the cause of their immorality. He envisioned a utopian community dedicated to the principles of pious living. Having little money to start, he made a series of land deals that helped to grow wealth and finance his ventures. Purchasing land required payment to the Indians, obtaining license, various land surveys, identifying partnerships and co-petitioners, and paying quit-rent and taxes to the Crown.
In April 1761, Hartwick obtained a nearly 22,000 acres (89 km$^2$) land patent called 'the Hartwick Patent' in Otsego County, New York located southwest of what would become Cooperstown. This patent was granted by the Colony of New York, and required payment for title to the Mohawk Indians. The attempts toward a permanent settlement on the site was made in waves thereafter, although Hartwick has trouble attracting settlers in the first years of the patent.
In following years, a 100,000 acre patent of land to the north of the Hartwick Patent was secured, and in 1785 Judge William Cooper came to survey land tracts in a portioned land tract called the Cooper-Craig Patent, neighboring immediately to the north. Hartwick continued to struggle to attract settlers to his patent in 1788 and 1789 attempts, and did not survey his land for the required 11 divisions until 1791 as required by the patent documents.
Seeking assistance in settlement of his tract, Hartwick thereafter commissioned this neighboring landowner Cooper to lease Hartwick Patent land to suitable Christian settlers for the establishment of this "New Jerusalem." Cooper essentially ignored Hartwick's criteria, and leased the property indiscriminately; most (if not all) of his tenants had little interest in Hartwick's utopian vision for the settlement.
John Christopher Hartwick's 8/11 holdings of the Hartwick Patent would form the basis for the community of Hartwick, New York.
John Christopher Hartwick died during 1796 at Clermont Manor, the home of Robert R. Livingston.

## Hartwick Seminary

Hartwick's vision of a seminary was as a place to provide religious instruction to the native indians He believed there should be government-run educational schools to replace the exclusive private schools of the day.
Hartwick had benefited financially from Cooper's indiscriminate leasing deals and left instructions in his will for the founding of a public seminary. However he made the task difficult by designating Jesus Christ as his heir. The seminary did not open until 15 years after his death.
Hartwick's choice as director of the seminary had been Dr. John Christopher Kunze a leading Lutheran theologian. Prominent political and religious leaders Jeremiah Van Rensselaer and Frederick Muhlenberg convinced Dr. Kunze to direct the seminary and teach theology at his home in New York City. Also benefiting from Hartwick's endowments were Rev. Anthony Braun who taught sciences and languages in Albany and Rev. John Frederick Ernst who taught elementary school on the Hartwick land patent.
The school first known as the Hartwick Seminary, eventually became Hartwick College. During the 1920s, the Trustees of Hartwick Seminary voted to close the seminary and use the funds to open a new college in the nearby city of Oneonta, New York.