Gnesio-Lutherans
Encyclopedia
"Gnesio-Lutherans" is a modern name for a theological party in the Lutheran Church, in opposition to the Philippists
after the death of Martin Luther
and before the Formula of Concord
. In their own day they were called Flacians by their opponents and simply Lutherans by themselves. Later Flacian became to mean an adherent of Matthias Flacius
' extreme view of original sin, rejected by the Formula of Concord
. In a broader meaning, the term Gnesio-Lutheran is associated mostly with the defense of the doctrine of Real Presence
.
's doctrine, in the beginning led by Matthias Flacius
. The Gnesio-Lutherans exercised strict doctrinal discipline, but they also opposed with equal determination the errors of their fellow-combatants like von Amsdorf (Amsdorfians
), Flacius (Flacians), Poach, and others. The centres of Gnesio-Lutherans were Magdeburg
and the University of Jena.
Gnesio-Lutherans were involved in:
Other Gnesio-Luherans were Caspar Aquila
, Joachim Westphal
, Johann Wigand, Matthäus Judex, Joachim Mörlin
, Tilemann Heshusius
, Johann Timann, Simon Musaeus, Erasmus Sarcerius, and Aegidius Hunnius
.
and the Gnesio-Lutherans, there was a "Centrist party", which included Johannes Brenz
, Jakob Andreae
, Martin Chemnitz
, Nikolaus Selnecker
, David Chytraeus
, Andreas Musculus
, and others. Unlike the Gnesio-Lutherans, the members of the "centre party" were opposed to any unnecessary controversies involving no doctrinal differences, and careful not to fall into any extreme position themselves. The Gnesio-Lutheran Joachim Westphal
was first to write to defend the Real Presence
against the Calvinists, and Melanchthon stigmatzed his and other Gnesio-Lutherans' doctrine as "bread worship".
Philippists
The Philippists formed a party in early Lutheranism. Their opponents were called Gnesio-Lutherans.-Before Luther's Death:Philippists was the designation usually applied in the latter half of the sixteenth century to the followers of Philipp Melanchthon...
after the death of Martin Luther
Martin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
and before the Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith that, in its two parts , makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as...
. In their own day they were called Flacians by their opponents and simply Lutherans by themselves. Later Flacian became to mean an adherent of Matthias Flacius
Matthias Flacius
Matthias Flacius Illyricus was a Lutheran reformer.He was born in Carpano, a part of Albona in Istria, son of Andrea Vlacich alias Francovich and Jacobea Luciani, daughter of a wealthy and powerful Albonian family...
' extreme view of original sin, rejected by the Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord
Formula of Concord is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith that, in its two parts , makes up the final section of the Lutheran Corpus Doctrinae or Body of Doctrine, known as...
. In a broader meaning, the term Gnesio-Lutheran is associated mostly with the defense of the doctrine of Real Presence
Real Presence
Real Presence is a term used in various Christian traditions to express belief that in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is really present in what was previously just bread and wine, and not merely present in symbol, a figure of speech , or by his power .Not all Christian traditions accept this dogma...
.
Controversies
After the death of Luther, many theological controversies arose among the Lutherans, mostly due to teaching of Philip Melanchthon. Gnesio-Lutherans were profiled by defending Martin LutherMartin Luther
Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...
's doctrine, in the beginning led by Matthias Flacius
Matthias Flacius
Matthias Flacius Illyricus was a Lutheran reformer.He was born in Carpano, a part of Albona in Istria, son of Andrea Vlacich alias Francovich and Jacobea Luciani, daughter of a wealthy and powerful Albonian family...
. The Gnesio-Lutherans exercised strict doctrinal discipline, but they also opposed with equal determination the errors of their fellow-combatants like von Amsdorf (Amsdorfians
Amsdorfians
The Amsdorfians were an early sect of Protestant Christians, who took their name from the 16th century German reformer Nicolaus von Amsdorf. They maintained that good works were not only unprofitable, but obstacles, to salvation. The Amsdorfians were rigid confessionists....
), Flacius (Flacians), Poach, and others. The centres of Gnesio-Lutherans were Magdeburg
Magdeburg
Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....
and the University of Jena.
Gnesio-Lutherans were involved in:
- Adiaphoristic Controversy,
- The Majoristic Controversy (Nicolaus von AmsdorfNicolaus von AmsdorfNicolaus von Amsdorf was a German theologian and Protestant reformer.-Biography:He was born in Torgau, on the Elbe....
, Nicolaus GallusNicolaus GallusNicolaus Gallus , was leader of the Lutheran Reformation in Regensburg....
), - The Second Antinomian Controversy, (Andreas PoachAndreas PoachAndreas Poach was a German Lutheran theologian and Reformer.In 1530 he was admitted to the University of Wittenberg. In 1538, he obtained his Master's and remained until 1541 at the University of Wittenberg...
, Anton Otto) - The Synergistic Controversy (Matthias FlaciusMatthias FlaciusMatthias Flacius Illyricus was a Lutheran reformer.He was born in Carpano, a part of Albona in Istria, son of Andrea Vlacich alias Francovich and Jacobea Luciani, daughter of a wealthy and powerful Albonian family...
, Nicolaus GallusNicolaus GallusNicolaus Gallus , was leader of the Lutheran Reformation in Regensburg....
) - The Osiandrian ControversyAndreas OsianderAndreas Osiander was a German Lutheran theologian.- Career :Born at Gunzenhausen in Franconia, Osiander studied at the University of Ingolstadt before being ordained as a priest in 1520. In the same year he began work at an Augustinian convent in Nuremberg as a Hebrew tutor. In 1522, he was...
and - The Crypto-Calvinistic ControversyCrypto-CalvinismCrypto-Calvinism is a term for Calvinist influence in the Lutheran Church during the decades just after the death of Martin Luther . It denotes what was seen as a hidden...
.
Other Gnesio-Luherans were Caspar Aquila
Caspar Aquila
Caspar Aquila , also Kaspar Aquila, Caspari Aquilae, Gaspar Aquila, birth name Johann Kaspar Adler, was a German reformer, who was born at Augsburg. Educated at Augsburg and at Ulm , in Italy , at Bern , studied theology in Leipzig and Wittenberg...
, Joachim Westphal
Joachim Westphal (of Hamburg)
Joachim Westphal was a German "Gnesio-Lutheran" theologian....
, Johann Wigand, Matthäus Judex, Joachim Mörlin
Joachim Mörlin
Joachim Mörlin was a Lutheran theologian and an important figure in the controversies following Martin Luther's death.-Early life:...
, Tilemann Heshusius
Tilemann Heshusius
Tilemann Heshusius Tilemann Heshusius Tilemann Heshusius (also Hesshus, Heßhusen, Hess Husen, Heshusen (November 3, 1527 in Wesel -- September 25, 1588 in Helmstedt) was a Gnesio-Lutheran theologian.- Life :...
, Johann Timann, Simon Musaeus, Erasmus Sarcerius, and Aegidius Hunnius
Aegidius Hunnius
Aegidius Hunnius the Elder was a Lutheran theologian of the Lutheran scholastic tradition and father of Nicolaus Hunnius....
.
The Crypto-Calvinistic Controversy
The Crypto-Calvinistic Controversy was the largest of the controversies of the second generation of the Lutheran Reformation. Since it was far more fundamental to Lutheran Church, also other Lutherans outside of the Flacian party took the Gnesio-Lutheran position against Philippism and Crypto-Calvinism. In the middle between the PhilippistsPhilippists
The Philippists formed a party in early Lutheranism. Their opponents were called Gnesio-Lutherans.-Before Luther's Death:Philippists was the designation usually applied in the latter half of the sixteenth century to the followers of Philipp Melanchthon...
and the Gnesio-Lutherans, there was a "Centrist party", which included Johannes Brenz
Johannes Brenz
Johann Brenz was a German theologian and the Protestant Reformer of the Duchy of Württemberg.-Early Advocacy of the Reformation:...
, Jakob Andreae
Jakob Andreae
Jakob Andreae was a significant German Lutheran theologian, involved in the drafting of major documents.-Life:He was born in Waiblingen, in the Duchy of Württemberg. He studied at the University of Tübingen from 1541...
, Martin Chemnitz
Martin Chemnitz
Martin Chemnitz was an eminent second-generation Lutheran theologian, reformer, churchman, and confessor...
, Nikolaus Selnecker
Nikolaus Selnecker
Nikolaus Selnecker was a German musician and theologian. He is now known mainly as a hymn writer. He is also known as one of the principal authors of the Formula of Concord along with Jakob Andreä and Martin Chemnitz.At a young age he was an organist in Nuremberg...
, David Chytraeus
David Chytraeus
David Chytraeus or Chyträus was a German Lutheran theologian and historian.His real surname was Kochhafe, which in Classical Greek is χυτρα, from where he derived the Latinized pseudonym "Chyträus".Chytraeus was professor of the University of Rostock and one of the co-authors of the Formula of...
, Andreas Musculus
Andreas Musculus
Andreas Musculus was a German Lutheran theologian. The name Musculus is a Latinized form of Meusel.Musculus was born in Schneeberg, Saxony, "generally called only Musculus" and educated in Leipzig and Wittenberg. He became professor in university of Frankfurt an der Oder...
, and others. Unlike the Gnesio-Lutherans, the members of the "centre party" were opposed to any unnecessary controversies involving no doctrinal differences, and careful not to fall into any extreme position themselves. The Gnesio-Lutheran Joachim Westphal
Joachim Westphal (of Hamburg)
Joachim Westphal was a German "Gnesio-Lutheran" theologian....
was first to write to defend the Real Presence
Real Presence
Real Presence is a term used in various Christian traditions to express belief that in the Eucharist, Jesus Christ is really present in what was previously just bread and wine, and not merely present in symbol, a figure of speech , or by his power .Not all Christian traditions accept this dogma...
against the Calvinists, and Melanchthon stigmatzed his and other Gnesio-Lutherans' doctrine as "bread worship".
External links
- Gnesio-Lutherans, article in Christian CyclopediaChristian CyclopediaChristian Cyclopedia is a one-volume compendium of theological data, ranging from ancient figures to contemporary events. It is published by Concordia Publishing House. It should not be confused with The Lutheran Cyclopedia , edited by Henry Eyster Jacobs and Charles A.W...