Lavater's diverse interests, which were not measured solely by reading, but were vitalizing through personal, often controversial contacts, make him a dazzling central figure of the 18th century. In accordance with his dictum of the face of God in the face of man, this 18th century is reflected in Lavater's complex physiognomy of work with its simultaneities of the non-simultaneous, with its straight-line and crooked progressions, its controversies and conflicts. The volume creates interdisciplinary approaches from German literary studies, Latin studies, Russian studies, medical and psychological history, art history, esoteric history, religious studies, theologies of several denominations, musicology, philosophy and early modern history. It offers access oriented towards cultural studies and the history of discourse. This is appropriate to the subject of interest, as Lavater is an author who, on the one hand, has established a theology, if you will, that is based on cultural studies and, on the other hand, has an interdisciplinary scope.