Ecumenist and Controversialist: The Dual Legacy of Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf

N ikolaus L udwig von Z inzendorf (1700–1760) is often remembered for his ecumenical theology. Yet his relationships with other C hristians of his time were marked by conflict, and every significant ecumenical connection he made was eventually broken off. This article outlines Z inzendorf's interactions with other C hristians in the two centres of M oravianism where his leadership was strongest, G ermany and E ngland, and analyses the consistent disintegration of those relations. It concedes that these conflicts were fuelled in part by suspicion of Z inzendorf's radical ideals, fear of his movement's independence, the ecclesial politics of his time, the public's appetite for gossip about the M oravians, and the faults of his conversation partners — all causes that are often invoked to explain eighteenth‐century antipathy toward Z inzendorf. The far more consistent and compelling factor in these conflicts, however, was Z inzendorf's temperament, which included both a noble sense of being above reproach and a distinct irritability. This article argues that Z inzendorf's contentious personality was the decisive impediment to the realisation of his ecumenical goals. It also suggests that his tendency to be a controversialist helps make sense of the contradiction between his ecumenical theology and the failure of his ecumenical program under his leadership.