Umbra in luce: Sive consensus et dissensus religionum profanarum Judaismi, Samaritanismi, Muhammedismi, Gingis-Chanismi, atque Paganismi, praecipue moderni, cum veritate Christiana. [Bound before: Brochmand, Caspar Erasmus: In Canonicam & Catholicam Jacobi Epistolam Commentarius. (Copenhagen: Martzan-Moltken, 1641.); Bound after: Leyser, Wilhelm: Trifolium Verae Religionis V.T. Adamiticae, Abrahamiticae, Et Israeliticae, Iuxta Unifolium Religionis Lutheranae. (Wittenberg: Schrödter, 1680.); Klug, David: Harmonia Evangelistarum Chemnitio-Lysero-Gerhardina. (Jena: Hertel, 1670.)]

Illustrated with five large, almost full-page and full-page woodcuts and five smaller woodcut illustrations, and a large folding plate. Second edition (first published in 1667). Four works bound in one volume. Contemporary vellum binding with title inked on the spine and a faint shelfmark vignette. [8] 196 p. and 1 folding plate. A scarce and early illustrated comparative study on global religions, including American and Asian beliefs, through a Lutheran lens—is bound alongside three foundational Lutheran texts. Umbra in Luce, or Shadow in Light: Agreement and Disagreement of Profane Religions with Christian Truth, originally presented in 1667 as an academic disputation at the University of Jena, is a comparative theological study authored by Christian Hoffmann under the guidance of Johann Ernst Gerhard. This work examines Judaism, Islam, Samaritanism, as well as Chinese, Hindu, and Mongolian beliefs, uniquely incorporating references to indigenous American and Mexican religions. Hoffmann describes these American beliefs as "shadowed" reflections of divine truth, presenting them through a distinctly Lutheran lens. The text, with its Samaritan title ?elal be-nahar ("shadow in light"), features a diverse set of typefaces—Arabic, Hebrew, and Greek—and includes exotic woodcut inserts, a folding plate, and text illustrations of various coins. The larger illustrations depict figures such as a flaming bronze idol of Moloch, associated with ancient child sacrifice, along with artifacts from Gerhard’s collection, including a Hindu Bhairava statuette and an Indonesian shadow puppet. Notably, Hoffmann mistakenly labels this statuette as a "Chinese idol," underscoring the era’s limited understanding of Asian religions. While many images are borrowed from Athanasius Kircher’s Oedipus Ægyptiacus, others directly depict Gerhard’s artifacts, like the Bhairava statuette, a fierce incarnation of Shiva, obtained through the Dutch East India Company by Johann Schelhammer, a Lutheran pastor in The Hague. These visual and textual elements, combined with Hoffmann’s commentary on Mexican religious practices and a depiction of Huitzilopochtli—the Aztec god of war and the sun, symbolizing protection and sacrifice—create a vivid portrayal of 17th-century efforts to interpret global religions within a Christian framework. Additionally, an intriguing feature of Hoffmann’s text is its engagement with Asian linguistic elements, including a passage in Tamil, reflecting his interest in Eastern languages and cultures. Bound with Umbra in Luce are three additional theological works: In Canonicam & Catholicam Jacobi Epistolam Commentarius by Caspar Erasmus Brochmand, Trifolium Verae Religionis by Wilhelm Leyser, and Harmonia Evangelistarum organized by David Klug. These works were likely compiled together to offer a comprehensive suite of Lutheran scholarship that addresses both scriptural exegesis and comparative theology. While Umbra in Luce examines global religions through a comparative lens, the others provide detailed doctrinal guidance for Lutheran clergy, reflecting an integrated approach to defending and elucidating Lutheran theology against both external and internal religious perspectives. Literature: Ben-Tov, A. (2021). Johann Ernst Gerhard (1621–1668): The life and work of a seventeenth-century orientalist. Brill. . Contemporary owner’s inscription on the first title page. Handwritten content on the final blank leaf of the last work. Rear free endpaper is missing. Tiny wormholes throughout, with more noticeable effects toward the rear, including the rear binding panel. Rear panel slightly stained. Despite the wormholes, overall in fine condition. Contemporary vellum binding with title inked on the spine and a faint shelfmark vignette Second edition (first published in 1667). Four works bound in one volume. …