Ostervald, Jean Frederic
OSTERVALD, JEAN FREDERIC (1663-1747), Swiss Protestant divine, was born at Neuchatel on the 25th of November 1663. He was educated at Ziirich 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 caUed 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 r'egne 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; Catcchisme ou instruction dans la religion chrciienne (1702), also translated into English, Dutch and German; Traite contre Vimpurete (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.
Note - this article incorporates content from Encyclopaedia Britannica, Eleventh Edition, (1910-1911)
