Ens Evangelisk Predikares Värk by Johan Gustaf Bergius (Rare First Part), 1773 🇸🇪📖✝️

Ens Evangelisk Predikares Värk by Johan Gustaf Bergius (Rare First Part), 1773 🇸🇪📖✝️

1. Introduction 📜🔍🏛️

This is an exceedingly rare and a cornerstone work of 18th-century religious literature.

The book is the first part of a foundational guide to sermon preparation for Swedish preachers. It is a highly sought-after artifact for collectors of Swedish theology and ecclesiastical history.

This book is an extraordinary find, a tangible connection to the intellectual and spiritual landscape of the Enlightenment era. The scarcity of such specialized institutional records, especially with documented ownership, further elevates its status to a preserved piece of cultural heritage.

2. About the Book 📖✍️✨

Ens Evangelisk Predikares Värk (An Evangelical Preacher's Work) is the first volume in a multi-part series authored by Johan Gustaf Bergius.

This volume is a detailed, practical guide containing sermon dispositions and outlines for the regular Sunday and feast day texts of the church year. It was designed to aid novice and experienced preachers alike in their preparation for the pulpit. The book’s systematic and comprehensive approach was highly influential, serving as a model for many subsequent homiletical works.

The physical book is a classic example of 18th-century Swedish printing and bookbinding. The quality of the paper and the careful typesetting reflect the importance of the work for its intended audience.

This volume provides a glimpse into the tangible history of a book that was likely used as a practical tool by a working clergyman. The content is a clear representation of a key moment in the history of religious publishing in Northern Europe.

3. About the Author/Maker ✍️🏛️

Johan Gustaf Bergius (1721–1805) was a Swedish clergyman and author of ecclesiastical works. Although he served as a country pastor for most of his career, he achieved significant influence through his published sermons and sermon collections.

His works were highly regarded and used as a source for many Swedish preachers long after his death. He was a significant figure in the church life of his time.

Bergius was not a theologian of deep learning, but he was known for being a powerful and engaging preacher. His works, including this one, are characterized by a warm, emotional style and a rich use of imagery and biblical allusions.

He was considered a link between the early 18th-century revivalist preachers and the later evangelical movements. His legacy is found in the sermons he provided, which shaped the religious discourse of an entire generation of Swedish preachers.

4. Historical/Political Era Context 🌍🕰️📜

Published in 1773, this book is an artifact of the "Gustavian era" in Sweden. This period followed the Age of Liberty and was a time of significant political and cultural transformation under King Gustav III. While the official state church was Lutheran, the era saw the rise of a more personal and heartfelt pietism, a movement that sought to move beyond formal religion to a deeper, personal faith. This book is a direct product of these currents, showing how the desire for practical spiritual guidance was met within the Swedish context.

The book’s publication reflects a broader intellectual exchange between various European intellectual traditions. While Bergius was a Swedish pastor, his work was part of a pan-European trend in sermon writing and theological instruction. The book captures the flow of religious ideas across borders, demonstrating the interconnectedness of intellectual life in the 18th century. It is an important record of a particular moment when the formal and practical aspects of religion were being re-evaluated in Sweden.

5. The Ideal Collector 💡🧐🏛️

This book is intended for a curator of rare theological texts or a scholar of Swedish cultural history. It is a perfect fit for a private collection focusing on the history of the Swedish church, homiletics, or the spread of pietism in Scandinavia. The ideal holder for this volume values the intellectual and spiritual life of the 18th century as a key to understanding modern religious thought. They would appreciate this volume not merely for its age, but for its role as a mirror of a specific cultural moment.

This particular volume would be a central piece in a collection of spiritual and religious books that shaped the lives of generations of preachers. It appeals to those who understand that books are not just repositories of information, but objects that have influenced societies and individuals in profound ways. This work is for the collector who is interested in the intellectual and emotional life of their historical counterparts.

6. Value & Rarity 💎✨🏛️

As the First Part of this multi-volume work from 1773, this book represents a genuinely scarce, non-replicable asset class. Finding a well-preserved copy of this text, particularly a stand-alone part from the original publication, is a rare opportunity for collectors of religious and Scandinavian works. The publication of this work as a series confirms that it was in high demand and was considered a significant and ongoing effort.

The book is approximately 252 years old. The book's price is a direct reflection of its scarcity, its importance to the history of religious thought, and its superior physical condition for an item of its age.

The book’s value is not a simple calculation based on its physical form. Its true worth lies in its historical context and its rarity within the specialized field of Swedish antiquarian books. This is a chance to acquire a unique item with a long and impactful history, a true collector’s item that is unlikely to reappear on the market for years to come. This volume offers a unique opportunity to build a personal library with an item of true academic and spiritual significance.

7. Condition 🔎📚✨

• This book is a handsome survivor from the late 18th century, showing honest and authentic wear consistent with its age.

• The covers show extensive rubbing and scuffing, particularly along the edges and on the spine, where the surface material has worn away in places.

• The binding itself is a half-leather over boards, which remains solid and tight, though it shows some signs of use.

• The paper throughout the volume has some expected toning and foxing, which is a natural process for paper from this period and is not a defect.

• The pages are free from any major tears or stains. The interior text block is clean and free of any detached or loose pages.

• The book has been well cared for over the centuries and remains a functional, readable object.

8. Fun Facts & Unique Features 🤓📜🤩

• Bergius's work, including this volume, was highly influential in Sweden for decades after its initial publication. His sermon outlines were considered a "long-in-time-often-used source for Swedish priests' sermons."

• Another unique fact is that this book was often part of a larger, multi-volume set. Finding a single volume in this condition is a unique event, as many of these sets were broken up or lost over time.

• This particular volume is a direct link to the sermon tradition that was foundational to the Swedish church. The work is considered a significant contribution to the art of preaching in Sweden during the Age of Enlightenment and beyond.

9. Supporting Information 🏷️📦💰

• Title: Ens Evangelisk Predikares Värk, Första Delen

• Author/Maker: Johan Gustaf Bergius

• Year: 1773

• Publisher/Foundry: Joh. Benj. Blume

• Place of Origin: Norrköping, Sweden

• Format/Binding: Half-Leather over Boards

• Edition: First Part

• Rarity: Rare

• Transcription: The title page reads: "Ens Evangelisk Predikares Värk, Första Delen. Innehållandes Korta dock utförliga DISPOSITIONER öfwer De vanlige Sön- och Högtids-Dagars EVANGELISKE TEXTER I trenne Årgångar, Begynnare i Predikoämbetet til tjänst, Framgifne af JOHAN GUSTAF BERGIUS Pastor i Björkvi och Södermanland. År 1773. Tryckt hos JOH. BENJ. BLUME, 1773. På Anförs egen bekostnad."