Piotr of GoniÄ…dz

Peter Gonesius (* 1525 in Gonionds, † October 15, 1573 in Wegrów ) was a Lithuanian theologian and representatives of antitrinitarianism the Reformation.

Life

From a farm setting to arise Gonesius studied theology at the University of Krakow and in 1546 a Catholic priest. In 1551 Gonesius was sent by the Bishop of Vilnius for further study at the University of Padua, on the Gonesius 1554 as a doctor of philosophy doctorate and then taught dialectic in the tray. In Padua Gonesius also met the Piedmontese lawyers Matteo Gribaldi, who introduced him for the first time with the anti-Trinitarian writings Michel Servetus. Under Gribaldi Gonesius finally took increasingly Reformation and antritrinitarische positions. After Gribaldi 1555 moved to the University of Tübingen to Gonesius went over Moravia back to Poland - Lithuania. In Moravia, he was officially introduced to the coming of the Baptist movement Hutterites and founded by radical Hussites and Waldensians Moravian brothers who influenced his further theological development also strongly. Especially the position taken by the Hutterites pacifism was recognized at Gonesius. Gonesius now represented open Reformation and anti-Trinitarian views. At that time, Poland was already strongly influenced by the Reformation. In the Greater Poland region mainly Lutheran and Bohemian positions were common. In the region of Lesser Poland, the Reformation was more influenced by Zwingli and Calvin. On the small Polish Synod of Secymin in January 1556, the influence of the Bohemian- Moravian brothers Confession Polonica inter alia, decided to Gonesius finally spoke in terms of Gribaldis for a subordinationist Christology and explained the Trintität for unbiblical. Although the Synod to represent Gonesius antitrinitarianism still rejected him and a sequence Synod in April of the same year in Pinczów excommunicated as a heretic, he was able to collect a number of supporters in the following years. Parts of the clergy and nobility stood at his side. Found support Gonesius especially in the Polish-Lithuanian magnate January Kiszka. 1556 was Gonesius his main work De filio Dei homine Christ Jesus out. In December 1558 Gonesius participated in another Reformed Synod in the then still the Grand Duchy of Lithuania -listed town of Brest, on the next he represented anti-Trinitarian and Anabaptist views. Gonesius so stuck on the thematic framework within which the theological debates in the coming years should be within the Reformation movement in Poland - Lithuania and finally ( also known as Polish brothers ) 1564/65 in the cleavage of an Anabaptist- anti-Trinitarian Eclesia reformata minor and a retentive on the Trinity and infant baptism Ecclesia maior reformata resulted. Peter Gonesius was now together with Martin Czechowic one of the leading figures of the Unitarian churches in Poland and Lithuania. Peter Gonesius died on October 15, 1573 during a plague epidemic.