A Pietist, Pon­top­pi­dan be­gan stu­dy­ing the­ol­o­gy at age 20. He was a pri­vate tu­tor for (among others) the Duke of Pløn, and served as a min­is­ter at at Nord­borg Cas­tle; Vi­car at Als; min­is­ter at the roy­al court in Co­pen­ha­gen; Bi­shop of Ber­gen, Nor­way (1747-1754); and pro-chan­cel­lor at the Un­i­ver­si­ty of Co­pen­ha­gen (1754). His works in­clude:

• Sandhed til Gudfrygtighed, 1737 (ed­it­or)
• Den Nye Psalmebog, 1740
• Fejekost
• Oppvćkkelige Hyrdebreve
• Glossarium Norwagicum
• Norges naturlige Historie
• Den danske Atlas
• Danmarks og Norges řkonomiske Magazin

1. O! hwad jeg læng­es hier­tel­ig
   • Om nogen mig nu spörge vil om grund til salighed
     • Faith in the Blood