Caspar Schwenckfeld
Kaspar Schwen ( c ) kfeld of Ossig (* 1490 in Ossig in Lubin, † December 10, 1561 in Ulm ) was a German reformer and religious writer.
Life
He came from an old noble family, studied among others at Cologne University, then worked in various places as Hofjunker and finally as advice from the Legnica Duke Friedrich II. Since a visit to Wittenberg in 1522 he was inclined to Protestantism and sought to its introduction in Legnica, where he in 1523 called to the Duke humanists Valentin Krautwald met. However, he soon developed his own doctrine of the Eucharist ( 1525). He interpreted the words of institution so that he opposed the development of Luther's real presence. He also preached the 'Inner Word' (1527 ) and stood against ecclesiastical Christology and Luther's doctrine of justification. This he understood as a religious and moral process, spoke in the manner of the mystic of " spiritual being" the grace of God and relied on continual divine inspiration. In sum Schwenckfeld be assigned teaching spiritualism.
After he was banished from his homeland in 1528, he lived from 1529 to 1534 in Strasbourg, where he met, among others, Sebastian Franck, and then lived under constant persecution in Swabia, where he brooked Duke Ulrich, and on the Rhine. In Esslingen, he found particular support, which also reached out to the Württemberg country, especially to Stetten in the Rems valley in the house of Erbmarschalls Hans Konrad Thumb and his brother Hans Friedrich Thumb.
For the first time in 1535 forbade the reinstated Duke Ulrich schwenckfeldische the literature; an attempt at conciliation in Tübingen ( Tübingen Agreement ) in the same year brought temporary peace. Schwenckfeld had to give way on the orders of the City Council also from Ulm in 1539 after a dispute with the ( 1537 ) the Supreme preachers in Ulm and Tübingen later theology professor Martin Frecht ( 1494-1556 ). 1540 was adopted by the Convention of the Lutheran theologians Schmalkaldic his sentencing. However, this had no personal consequences for Schwenckfeld because he had influential friends, such as Michael Ludwig von Freiberg, who harbored him in his castle 1540-1547 Justingen.
A summary of his views can be found in the Bekandtnus and accountability of the principal points of the Christian faith from 1547.
Works
The richest manuscript tradition to pivot field is found in the Confession unnd of declaration from Erkandtnus of Christ, of which only the first part was printed (1541 in Frankfurt). The history of this work arises from the confrontation with his theological opponents: as prompted about Martin Frecht Vadian in St. Gallen, to write against Schwenckfeld. Shortly before the June 12, 1542 the City Council received a letter Ulmer Schwenckfeld with a request for examination of his teachings; the scribe also talks of a book sent and announced that it was discussed whether " the writing unnd the book to zustoellen the predicanten sey or nit". On 30 June, the Council actually calls for the preachers to comment on, which is not preserved, but unequivocally negative. Frecht even reported in a letter to Vadian that Schwenckfeld sent his book even after Nuremberg, Strasbourg and Augsburg, the Augsburg did not even counter measures. The custom built for the city councils copies seem to have survived them all. Schwenckfeld already an early copy to Melanchthon had sent to Wittenberg, which is now in the Lippe Detmold library; another to St. Gallen Vadian ( StB St. Gallen, 374); the Codex Cgm 959 of the Bavarian State Library was the copy of the Nuremberg City Council and carries the old archive signature Stat. A. N. 17; Tübingen handwriting Md 3 of that for Ulm. The skillful at the Zurich theologians manuscript of this work ( see the accompanying letter Schwenckfeld from January 16, 1542 ) is located in the Central Library Zurich, Ms. Car. I 272 ( and was not known to the editors of Corpus Schwenckfeldianorum ).
The title of the manuscript is consistent: From the Herrlichait / Christ vnnd its recognized / nus computing Creates the faith / and / Verantwurtung / At the tender of gelerten / to Schmalkald etc / and / on the ant [h ] ilogia D. Vadiani / On the highly famous M. / Philippum Melanchton / Ordered / Caspar Schwenckfeld
Trailer
Only after the death of Kaspar Schwenckfeld rallied his followers, who were called after him " Schwenckfeldianer ", in Silesia to free churches.
The Schwenckfeldianer have formed larger communities from the mid-16th century in the area between mountain lions, Goldberg and Haynau. From 1725 onwards were their Jesuit opponents, however, granted wide powers such as compulsory education and baptisms. On the night of 14 to 15 January 1726 Schwenckfeldianer fled from their home in Silesia and found in Görlitz and the surrounding area a place to stay. Many came to Herrnhut and to Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf Berthelsdorf. From 1734 emigrated around 180 people in the Schwenckfeldianer over Altona, Haarlem, Rotterdam and Plymouth MA to Pennsylvania. In Silesia itself joined by the many who remained after 1741 as a result of the occupation by Prussia of the Lutheran Church. The last Schwenckfeldianer applies Melchior buckthorn, a farmer, who (now Twardocice ) died in Harper village in Lower Silesia in 1826.
Today in and around Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, there are still six congregations of the Church, founded in 1909 pivot fields, which include approximately 3,000 members.
Werkausgabe
- Corpus Schwenckfeldianorum. 19 volumes, Leipzig, later Penn (Pennsylvania ) 1 ( 1907) - 19 (1961 )