Hans Denck

Hans Denck (* 1495 in Habach, † November 1527 in Basel) was a Bavarian- Swiss theologian and reformer within the evangelical Anabaptist movement.

Life

After a humanistic study was Hans Denck 1523 Rector of Sebaldusschule in Nuremberg. Because he was involved in the process to the painter brothers Barthel Beham and Sebald, he was referred to Andreas Osiander in 1524 operating out of the city. In 1525 he lived in Augsburg, where he had to flee. 1526 he went to Strasbourg to his comrades Ludwig Hatzer, with whom he translated the Old Testament prophets together into German. The translation as Worms Prophets became known was published in the spring of 1527 in Worms. It was used, among other things Martin Luther as a template for his translation of the Old Testament. Driven from Strasbourg found Denck after a long odyssey in southern Germany and Switzerland by John Oecolampadius inclusion in Basel, where weakened by the many expulsions in 1527 he died of the plague.

In pamphlets he attacked the reformers violently, but unlike many of his contemporaries, he rejected violence. Denck was strongly influenced by German mysticism and is attributed to the spiritualism.

Theology

For Hans Denck the living inner word of God is more important than the letter of Scripture. The Bible he recognizes as the work of man, the individual books as different testimonies of the one truth. As the source of all true religious knowledge he regards as opposed to Martin Luther not the scriptures, but the spirit which is inherent in the people and from the inside speaks to him. The sacraments he holds therefore for mere symbols. The baptism he understands accordingly as a sign of the covenant between God and man, which is why infant baptism is wrong in his eyes, the breaking of bread as a memorial celebration. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of the perfect man, who has never been at odds with God, because he has always done his will. Its function is that of a prototype. His death on the cross for the salvation of sinners, as taught by Luther, however, is in Denck worldview in principle not necessary, because God as the perfect love can all be saved. Luther's doctrine of predestination and the bondage of the will was Denck hostile towards.

Taufsukzession

The line of Taufsukzession goes with Hans Denck (Spring 1526) on Balthasar Hubmaier (Easter 1525), Wilhelm Reublin ( January 1525 ), Jörg Blue Skirt ( January 1525 ) Back to Conrad Grebel ( January 1525 ). The numbers in parenthesis denote the respective data baptism date. Evidence may be found in the biography of the persons mentioned articles.

Works (selection)

• From the true love. Reprint of Worms: Schoeffer 1527 Nördlingen. Uhl 1983.
• All Prophetenn After Hebreischer spoke verdeütscht. Übers: Ludwig Hatzer and Hans Dengk. Augspurg: Haynrich Stainer in 1530. Microfiche edition: The Radical Reformation microfiche project [ microform ]. Section 1, Mennonite and related sources up to 1600 train: . Inter Documentation Comp, 19XX. .

Swell

• Sources for the history of the Baptist George Baring (ed.): Hans Denck fonts part 1 bibliography. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann, 1955.
• Walter fur man (ed.): Hans writings Denck Part 2 Religious manuscripts. Gütersloh: Bertelsmann in 1956.
• Walter fur man (ed.). Hans Denck Part 3 Exegetical writings, poems and letters journals Gütersloh: Mohn 1960.