Nicholas Magni

Nicholas Magni of Jawor (also: Nikolaus Gross of Jawor; Latin Nicolaus Magni de Jawor, Czech Mikuláš z Magni Jawora; * 1355 in Jawor, † March 22, 1435 in Heidelberg ) was a German theologian. In 1397 he was rector of the Charles University, Prague, 1406 Rector of the University of Heidelberg. As a supporter of orthodoxy, he campaigned for the renewal of faith and clergy.

Life

Little is known about his origins and childhood, not even which schools he had attended in Silesia. In 1377, he studied philosophy at the University of Vienna and from 1378 onwards at the Charles University in Prague, where, among other things included Matthew of Krakow and Conrad of Soltau his teachers. After acquiring the academic degree of a " bachelor of arts " and the 1381 " Licentiatus of Arts " he worked as a teacher at the Faculty of Arts and studied theology at the same time, he graduated with a Bachelors degree in 1395 and 1392 with a master's in theology. Time and place of ordination are not known. Since 1392 he worked as a preacher at the German St. Gallus Church in Prague and as a pastor of a nunnery, for whose convent he gave a sermon on the Passion of Christ, whose version was preserved as a manuscript. 1397 he held the office of the rector of Charles University.

1402 was followed by Nicholas Magni a chair at the University of Heidelberg founded in 1386, Wittelsbach, whereas previously his teacher Matthew of Krakow and Conrad of Soltau were gone. The reasons why she and other professors Prague left are not known. Presumably it played the conflicts between the Bohemian and university members of other nations, a role in which it came to the distribution of seats at Charles College. The clashes were accompanied by the spiritual influences John Wyclif in the pre-Hussite period and eventually led in 1409 to the exodus of German professors to Leipzig.

In Heidelberg Nicholas Magni held several times, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty of Theology. In 1406 he was Rector and Vice-Chancellor from 1407 to 1421. He also worked as a notary and a counselor in the Office of the Elector Palatine Ruprecht III. and Ludwig III. In addition, he was until his death preacher at the Church of Holy Spirit, which he chaired 1413-1418 as Dean and " canon senior ". 1416-1417 he participated as an envoy of his university at the Council of Constance. With the speech given there, he called among other things, the moral improvement of the clergy and the reform of the spoils system. In the dispute between Pope and Council he remained neutral. During his time he entered Prague against the reformer Jan Hus, and later he fought his followers; as he pursued divergent doctrines. In 1425 he was one of the judges in the trial of heretics John of Drändorf, who was sentenced to death. 1432 was Nicholas Magni as a Member ( " Ambassiator domini comitis Palatini " ) of the Elector sent to the Council of Basel, where he tried to prevent a new schism. 1434 he participated in the Council of Basel again participate as a member of the deputation on faith. During the Council he held in Basel Dominican monastery "On the rocks " two sermons under the title "From prayer " and "From the love of God " in which he explained the three religious vows and called for the eliminating existing negligence in the monastic life. You have been preserved under the name of Nicholas of Heidelberg in the German version. Even on a provincial synod of Worms he denounced the moral failings of the clergy.

Writings

In his theological work to Nicholas Magni was primarily concerned with the Christian way of life and the pastoral care of the faithful. His only surviving handwritten sermons and tracts are demonstrated in several university and public libraries. They were listed in 1898 by A. Franz in his book The Master Nicholas Magni de Jawor. Vielrezipiert his Tractatus de superstitionibus is.