Magdalene, Orders of St. Mary

MADSEN, PEDER: Danish theologian; b. in Vinding parish near Holstebro (160 m. n.w. of Copenhagen), Denmark, Aug. 28, 1843. He studied at Viborg and was graduated from the University of Copenhagen, 1868; taught in private schools, 1868-72; spent two years in travel and study; was called to teach dogmatics and exegesis at the University of Copenhagen, 1874; was appointed professor of theology, 1875; was rector 1889-90 and 1903-04; and became bishop of Zealand 1909. He cooperated in working out a new series of Pericopes (q.v.), 1879-51, and assisted in reconstructing the liturgical parts of the church hymnal; represented the theological faculty on the church council, 1884-1886; is on the committee directing Danish missions in America, assists in directing home missions, and is active in Sunday-school work. He has also been for many years president of the Bethesda conventions which are doing for Denmark what the Eisenach Conference (q.v.) does for Germany. He is a member of the body which is considering new lines of polity for the Church in Denmark.

He gained his doctorate with the thesis De kristnes aandelige Preesteddmme (1879). Other works are his university programs: Det kirkelige Embeds (1890); Embedet og Menighedtms Samvirken i det kirkelige Arbejde (1894); .and Ordinatit»xens Betydning indenfor den loth. Kirkeafdeling (1904), sup porting the Lutheran traditional view of ministry and congregation. He had defended the same view in Borrtholmerne eller den saakaldte lvtherske Missionsforenirtg (1886). JOHN 0. EVJEN.

MAGDALENE, ORDERS OF ST. MARY: Several orders established at various times and in different places for the reformation of fallen women. The oldest community of penitents under the patronage of St. Mary Magdalene was probably that established at Metz, which traces its history, doubtless with some exaggeration, back to 1005, while a similar institution is said to have been founded at Treves about 1148. In the early part of the thirteenth century several convents of magdalens were established, influenced in great part by the revival inaugurated by St. Francis, the most noteworthy being those at Goslar about 1215, and at Worms and Strasburg between 1220 and 1230. Bulls confirming the privileges of such orders were issued by Gregory IX. and Innocent IV. between 1227 and 1251. The inmates followed the Augustinian rule and were supervised by provosts appointed by the general provost of the entire order. About the middle of the thirteenth century, convents of magdalens existed at Erfurt, Prenzlau, Malchow,Vienna, Regensburg, and elsewhere, attaching themselves now to one of the great orders and again to another. Refuges for fallen women were established at Marseilles in 1272, at Naples in 1324, and at Prague about 1372. One was founded at Paris in 1492, at Rome by Leo X. in 1520,

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at Seville in 1550, and at. Rouen and Bordeaux in 1618. At first the discipline in the convents for magda lens was extremely severe, but gradually it grew lax, especially through the admission of those for whom the order was not originally intended, until in 1637-40 a reformation was enforced at Paris, Marseilles, Bordeaux, Rouen, and elsewhere by St. Vincent de Paul. According to the new rule, which was officially approved in 1640, the order was to be divided into three grades. The first of these was the Congregation of St. Mary Magdalene with strict vows, which were assumed after a novitiate of two years, and required fasting throughout Advent, and on all Fridays, as well as frequent retreats, and other acts of penance. The second grade of the order was the Congregation of St. Martha, which required no vows and permitted those who were truly penitent and reformed to reenter the world and marry. The third grade was the Congregation of St. Lazarus, which forcibly detained those who were entrusted to its care for reformation. Numerous other Roman Catholic orders of more recent times have devoted themselves to the rescue of fallen women, noteworthy. among them being the Order of Our Lady of Refuge, founded at Nancy by Elisabeth de la Croix (d. 1649), the Sisters of St. Joseph, established in 1821, and the Order of the Good Shepherd, founded at Angers in 1828. The first impulse toward similar work in Evangelical circles was given by the work of Theodor Fliedner (q.v.; see also Deaconess, III., 2, a, § 2) at Kaisers werth beginning with 1833, and his example has since found numerous followers.

(O. Zöckler†.)