Product Description
German Reformers
(Luther, Pomeranus, Cruciger, Melanchthon)
Here is a beautiful
print of the German reformers Martin Luther, Philip Melanchthon,
Pomeranus, and Caspar Cruciger. These were some of Luther’s
closest companions. He would meet with them several hours each week
to discuss theology in his home. It is out of these conversations
that his famous book “Table Talk” came from. Table Talk
is available here:
http://www.ccel.org/l/luther/table_talk/table_talk01.htm
Pomeranus
BUGENHAGEN, JOHANN
(1485-1558), surnamed POMERANUS, German Protestant reformer, was born
at Wollin near Stettin on the 24th of June 1485. At the university of
Greifswald he gained much distinction as a humanist, and in 1504 was
appointed by the abbot of the Praemonstratensian monastery at Belbuck
rector of the town school at Treptow. In 1509 he was ordained priest
and became a vicar in the collegiate Marienkirche at Treptow; in 1517
he was appointed lecturer on the Bible and Church Fathers at the
abbey school at Belbuck. In. 1520 Luthers De Captivitate Babylonica
converted him into a zealous supporter of the Reformers views, to
which he won over the abbot among others. In 1521 he went to
Wittenberg, where he formed a close friendship with Luther and
Melanchthon, and in 1522 he married. He preached -and lectured in the
university, but his zeal and organizing skill soon spread his
reforming influence far beyond its limits. In 1528 he arranged the
church affairs of Brunswick and Hamburg; in 1530 those of Lubeck and
Pomerania. In 1537 he was invited to Denmark by Christian III., and
remained five years in that country, organizing the church (though
only a presbyter, he consecrated the new Danish bishops) and schools.
He passed the remainder of his life at Wittenberg, braving the perils
of war and persecution rather than desert the place dear to him as
the home of the Reformation. He died on the 20th of April 1558. Among
his numerous works is a history of Pomerania, which remained
unpublished till 1728. Perhaps his best book is the Inlerpretatio in
Librum Psalmorum (I 523), and he is also remembered as having helped
Luther in his translation of the Bible.
~From:
http://1.1911encyclopedia.org/B/BU/BUGENHAGEN_JOHANN.htm
Caspar Cruciger (1504-1548)
Cruciger was professor
in Wittenberg and preacher in the Schloss Kirche, and stood very
close to Luther. He was the stenograph of the Reformation, writing
many of Luther’s sermons. Often when Luther was ill and the
others away on the Visitations and at Diets, Cruciger was the only
theologian in the town. In 1533 he was rector of the University for
six months. Luther loved him for his learning, piety, and modesty.
Cruciger was also the most versatile of the Reformers. He was always
delicate, and died after an illness of three months in 1548. The day
before he died Cruciger finished Luther’s Last Words of David.
Cruciger’s daughter married Luther’s son Johannes.
Caspar and his wife Elisabeth were married by Johann Bugenhagen (i.e.
Pomeranus) in 1524.
~From:
http://www.godrules.net/library/luther/208luther1.htm
See also
http://unterkunft.wittenberg.de/e/seiten/personen/cruciger.html
Phillip Melanchthon
See Melanchthon's portrait for his
biographical information.
Martin Luther
See one of Luther's portraits for
his biographical information.
Phillip Melanchthon (1497-1560)
Melanchthon's Youth
Philipp Schwarzerdt
(Greek: Melanchthon ) was born February 16, 1497, in the house
of his grandparents in Bretten, Germany. He was the first of five
children (1499 Anna, 1500 or 1501 Georg, 1506 Margarete and 1508
Barbara). Melanchthon's father, Georg Schwarzerdt, was master of
armory of electoral Saxony. His mother came from the well-to-do
Reuter family of merchants. His grandfather saw that young Philipp,
his brother Georg and two other grandsons had a strong education in
Latin by hiring the tutor Johannes Unger from Pfortzheim.
At
school Philipp was the best student. He went on to learn Greek under
Johannes Hiltebrant. His great-uncle, the humanist Johannes Reuchlin,
in the humanist tradition, gave him the Greek name "Melanchthon."
"Your
name is Schwarzerdt (German for 'black earth'), you are a Greek, and
so your new name shall be Greek. Thus I will call you Melanchthon,
which means black earth." -- Johannes Reuchlin, March 5, 1509
University Education
Reuchlin saw to it that Melanchthon
was admitted to the University of Heidelberg at the age of twelve. About two
years later, in 1511, at the age of fourteen, he received his BA. However, the
following year, when Philipp applied to take the examinations for his MA, the
professors were hesitant to allow him to continue, on the grounds that they
thought the fifteen-year old could not possibly be accepted as a teacher. He
did finish his studies at Tübingen, and in January of 1514, he received
the MA at seventeen. He was received by the faculty of philosophy and began
teaching. He also began writing, which he was to continue doing for the rest
of his life. Melanchthon was greatly influenced by humanism. At the age of nineteen
even the famous Erasmus of Rotterdam recognized Melanchthon's many talents and
spoke highly of him: "To what hopes does this young man or rather this
boy, give rise! What acumen of innovation, what purity of language, what mature
erudition!" -- Erasmus, 1516
Time Line
1497 Born in Bretten,
Germany
1508 Latin education in
Pforzheim
1509 Student in
Heidelberg
1514 Masters degree,
begins teaching
1517 Luther's 95 Theses
spark the Reformation
1518 Professor of Greek
at Wittenberg
1519 Accompanies Luther
to debate at Leipzig
1520 Marriage to
Katherina Krapp
1521 First edition Loci
communes theologici
1522 Assists Luther in
refining New Testament translation
1528 Melanchthon's
Instruction to the Visitors concerning school reform
1529 Participates in
the Marburg Colloquy
1530 Augsburg
Confession presented to Charles V on June 25
1536 University reforms
take place under Melanchthon
1546 Dr. Martin Luther
dies on February 18
1547 Schmalkaldic War
1548 Interim introduced
1552 Interim ends
1555 Peace of Augsburg
1557 Melanchthon's wife
dies on October 11, while he is in Worms
1560 Philipp
Melanchthon dies on April 19
Wittenberg
In 1518, the
twenty-one-year-old Melanchthon was recommended by Johannes Reuchlin
to Elector Frederick the Wise of Saxony for the new chair of Greek
literature at the elector's Wittenberg University (founded in 1502).
On August 28 he gave his first lecture on "reforming the
instruction of the youth." It was the beginning of a lifelong
association for Melanchthon with the university.
At
Wittenberg Philipp Melanchthon studied theology under Dr. Martin
Luther. In September 1519 he was granted his first degree in
theology: baccalaureus biblicus . Melanchthon turned out to be
a popular lecturer. And Luther, who was fourteen years his senior,
recognized Melanchthon's remarkable abilities.
Home Life
"I am asked to get
married because it is thought to be an improvement of my situation.
If I knew that marriage would not disturb my work and my writing, I
could easily decide in favor of it. For the time being, however, it
will not happen." -- Philipp Melanchthon, 1519
Melanchthon's
belief about marriage did not last long. In November 1520 he was
married to Katharina Krapp, the daughter of the mayor of Wittenberg,
Hieronymous Krapp. Their marriage was to last nearly 40 years, until
the death of Katharina in 1557. There were four children (1522 Anna,
1525 Philipp, 1527 Georg, 1533 Magdalena).
Achievements
Melanchthon also became
involved in the administration of the Wittenberg university. In
1523-24 and 1538 he was rector. In 1535-36 and 1546-48 he was dean of
the philosophical faculty. Beginning in 1555 Melanchthon gave
lectures in world history. The resulting work was later published
under another name.
While
Melanchthon was associated with the University of Wittenberg, it
achieved world fame that lasted until the middle of the seventeenth
century. On occasion over 2,000 students would attend his lectures.
He is credited with the founding of schools, writing of textbooks and
initiating of reforms. From: http://chi.lcms.org/melanchthon/
Other Online Resources:
http://www.melanchthon.de/e/
(Information on Melanchthon)
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-melan.html
(links to Melanchthon’s works)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melanchthon
(Encyclopedia Entry)
http://chi.lcms.org/melanchthon/
(Great resources celebrating the 500 th anniversary of
Melanchthon’s birth)
http://www.ccel.org/s/schaff/encyc/encyc07/htm/ii.x.iv.htm
(Schaff on Melanchthon)
http://www.hfac.uh.edu/gbrown/philosophers/leibniz/BritannicaPages/Melanchthon/Melanchthon.html
(A nice encyclopedia entry)
http://www.melanchthon.com/melanchthonhouse.html
(The Malanchthon House Museum)