Moravians and Mathematics in the 18th Century

       The 18th-century Moravians who settled in the Lehigh Valley took joy in the world their God created for their personal lives and holy missions.  While their understanding of the universe was largely through the theological interpretations of their holy book, other books on mathematics in their Congregational library helped them understand how the universe worked on a fundamental level.
     One 1757 work, Der Anfangs-Gründe aller mathematischen Wissenschaften, provides the numerical and geometric theories behind shapes and simple machines that could be found even on the margins of Atlantic empire.  Everything from simple pullies to large military fortifications are displayed on intricately-drawn diagrams.  A 1742 volume, Anmerckungen über des herrn geheimden Rath Wolffens, takes a more abstract approach by working through mathematical proofs similar to anything a modern high school student would face.  These are just two examples of many other books with similar objectives.
    The Congregational library also contains books on applied mathematics in a field not usually associated with German pietists in Pennsylvania’s proverbial wilderness: mariners and seamanship.  The Mariner’s Compass Rectified, printed in 1763, contains hundreds of charts helping seamen determine latitude, longitude, declination, and other nautical measurements.  A 1762 volume, The Mariner’s New Calendar, contains not only more charts but also teaches the reader how to understand the basic concepts of geometry with many diagrams of both simple and complex shapes.  While these books are directed toward mariners and seamen, they are, at their base, simply applied geometry.
     In closing, then, while the Moravians certainly attributed the creation of the world to the mysterious grace of their deity, they were also cognizant of the static and inherent rules that governed it.

                                                                        -Andrew Stahlhut