Theologia Germanica
Encyclopedia
Theologia Germanica, also known as Theologia Deutsch or Teutsch, is a mystical
treatise believed to have been written in the mid 14th century by an anonymous author, usually associated with the Friends of God
. According to the introduction of the Theologia the author was a priest
and a member of the Teutonic Order living in Frankfurt, Germany
. The language usage and practical psychological approach point to Meister Eckhart
as a possible author. One of the most prominent mystics of the 14th century, he disappeared in 1327 after being brought to trial by the Inquisition
for heresy
. The Theologia was written during the disruptive reign of the Avignon Papacy
(1309-1378) when many clerics were forbidden to perform Catholic
rites, because of the power struggle between the Pope
and Holy Roman Emperor
. Lay
groups of pious individuals like the Friends of God became prominent during this time.
and man can be wholly united by following a path of perfection, as exemplified by the life of Christ
, renouncing sin
and selfishness
, ultimately allowing God’s will to replace human will. The book influenced Martin Luther
who published editions in 1516 and 1518, before his full break with the Catholic faith. It was Luther who gave the treatise its modern name; in the manuscripts it is known as "Der Franckforter", i.e. "the Frankfurter". Luther wrote,
Another goal of Luther in the publication was supporting his thesis that the German language
was just as well-suited for expressing theological ideas as the Hebrew, Greek
, and Latin
languages. The treatise itself does not discuss or reflect on the fact that it is written in German.
Theologia Germanica became a staple of the Radical Reformation
and of Pietism
.
declared it “poison supplied by the Devil.” Pope Paul V
placed it on the Catholic Church’s Index Librorum Prohibitorum
where it remained into the second half of the twentieth century.
A text from 1497, the Wuerzburg or Bronnbach manuscript, was discovered in 1843 and contained text not included in Luther's editions. This text forms the basis of most subsequent English translations.
In 1528, Ludwig Haetzer
republished Theologia Germanica with interpretive "Propositions" by Hans Denck
.
Towards the end of his life (1541–42), Sebastian Franck
produced a Latin paraphrase of the Haetzer version.
Sebastian Castellio
published Latin (1557) and French (1558) translations, after his break with John Calvin
over the execution of Michael Servetus
(1553). Just over a decade later, Valentin Weigel
provided a "Short Account and Introduction to the German Theology" (1571). Johann Arndt
published an edition endorsed by Philipp Jakob Spener
.
In 1980, Bengt R. Hoffman brought out an English translation of Luther's 1518 edition. David Blamires
’ 2003 translation is based on Wolfgang von Hinten’s 1982 critical edition.
Christian mysticism
Christian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity. It has often been connected to mystical theology, especially in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions...
treatise believed to have been written in the mid 14th century by an anonymous author, usually associated with the Friends of God
Friends of God
The Friends of God was a medieval lay mystical group within the Catholic Church and a center of German mysticism. It was founded between 1339 and 1343 in Basel, Switzerland, and was also fairly important in Strasbourg and Cologne, because around those times, some of the area was placed under a...
. According to the introduction of the Theologia the author was a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
and a member of the Teutonic Order living in Frankfurt, Germany
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. The language usage and practical psychological approach point to Meister Eckhart
Meister Eckhart
Eckhart von Hochheim O.P. , commonly known as Meister Eckhart, was a German theologian, philosopher and mystic, born near Gotha, in the Landgraviate of Thuringia in the Holy Roman Empire. Meister is German for "Master", referring to the academic title Magister in theologia he obtained in Paris...
as a possible author. One of the most prominent mystics of the 14th century, he disappeared in 1327 after being brought to trial by the Inquisition
Inquisition
The Inquisition, Inquisitio Haereticae Pravitatis , was the "fight against heretics" by several institutions within the justice-system of the Roman Catholic Church. It started in the 12th century, with the introduction of torture in the persecution of heresy...
for heresy
Heresy
Heresy is a controversial or novel change to a system of beliefs, especially a religion, that conflicts with established dogma. It is distinct from apostasy, which is the formal denunciation of one's religion, principles or cause, and blasphemy, which is irreverence toward religion...
. The Theologia was written during the disruptive reign of the Avignon Papacy
Avignon Papacy
The Avignon Papacy was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven Popes resided in Avignon, in modern-day France. This arose from the conflict between the Papacy and the French crown....
(1309-1378) when many clerics were forbidden to perform Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
rites, because of the power struggle between the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
. Lay
Laity
In religious organizations, the laity comprises all people who are not in the clergy. A person who is a member of a religious order who is not ordained legitimate clergy is considered as a member of the laity, even though they are members of a religious order .In the past in Christian cultures, the...
groups of pious individuals like the Friends of God became prominent during this time.
Luther's view
Theologia Germanica proposes that GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and man can be wholly united by following a path of perfection, as exemplified by the life of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
, renouncing sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
and selfishness
Selfishness
Selfishness denotes an excessive or exclusive concern with oneself, and as such it exceeds mere self interest or self concern. Insofar as a decision maker knowingly burdens or harms others for personal gain, the decision is selfish. In contrast, self-interest is more general...
, ultimately allowing God’s will to replace human will. The book influenced 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...
who published editions in 1516 and 1518, before his full break with the Catholic faith. It was Luther who gave the treatise its modern name; in the manuscripts it is known as "Der Franckforter", i.e. "the Frankfurter". Luther wrote,
"Next to the BibleBibleThe Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
and St. AugustineSt. Augustine-People:* Augustine of Hippo or Augustine of Hippo , father of the Latin church* Augustine of Canterbury , first Archbishop of Canterbury* Augustine Webster, an English Catholic martyr.-Places:*St. Augustine, Florida, United States...
, no book has ever come into my hands from which I have learned more of God and Christ, and man and all things that are."
Another goal of Luther in the publication was supporting his thesis that the German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
was just as well-suited for expressing theological ideas as the Hebrew, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
, and Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
languages. The treatise itself does not discuss or reflect on the fact that it is written in German.
Theologia Germanica became a staple of the Radical Reformation
Radical Reformation
The Radical Reformation was a 16th century response to what was believed to be both the corruption in the Roman Catholic Church and the expanding Magisterial Protestant movement led by Martin Luther and many others. Beginning in Germany and Switzerland, the Radical Reformation birthed many radical...
and of Pietism
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
.
Opposing views
John CalvinJohn Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
declared it “poison supplied by the Devil.” Pope Paul V
Pope Paul V
-Theology:Paul met with Galileo Galilei in 1616 after Cardinal Bellarmine had, on his orders, warned Galileo not to hold or defend the heliocentric ideas of Copernicus. Whether there was also an order not to teach those ideas in any way has been a matter for controversy...
placed it on the Catholic Church’s Index Librorum Prohibitorum
Index Librorum Prohibitorum
The Index Librorum Prohibitorum was a list of publications prohibited by the Catholic Church. A first version was promulgated by Pope Paul IV in 1559, and a revised and somewhat relaxed form was authorized at the Council of Trent...
where it remained into the second half of the twentieth century.
Translations
The first English translation of the Theologia Germanica dates from 1648.A text from 1497, the Wuerzburg or Bronnbach manuscript, was discovered in 1843 and contained text not included in Luther's editions. This text forms the basis of most subsequent English translations.
In 1528, Ludwig Haetzer
Ludwig Haetzer
Ludwig Haetzer was an Anabaptist.Born in Bischofszell, Thurgau, Switzerland, he wrote an article against the uses of images in worship, translated some Latin evangelical texts regarding the conversion of Jews, together with Hans Denck he translated the prophets of the Bible into German and...
republished Theologia Germanica with interpretive "Propositions" by Hans Denck
Hans Denck
Hans Denck was a German theologian and Anabaptist leader during the Reformation.Denck was born in 1495 in the Bavarian town of Habach. After a classical education, he became headmaster at the St. Sebaldus school in Nuremberg in 1523...
.
Towards the end of his life (1541–42), Sebastian Franck
Sebastian Franck
Sebastian Franck was a 16th century German freethinker, humanist, and radical reformer.Franck was born about 1499 at Donauwörth, Bavaria. Because of this he styled himself Franck von Word...
produced a Latin paraphrase of the Haetzer version.
Sebastian Castellio
Sebastian Castellio
Sebastian Castellio was a French preacher and theologian; and one of the first Reformed Christian proponents of religious toleration, freedom of conscience and thought....
published Latin (1557) and French (1558) translations, after his break with John Calvin
John Calvin
John Calvin was an influential French theologian and pastor during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system of Christian theology later called Calvinism. Originally trained as a humanist lawyer, he broke from the Roman Catholic Church around 1530...
over the execution of Michael Servetus
Michael Servetus
Michael Servetus was a Spanish theologian, physician, cartographer, and humanist. He was the first European to correctly describe the function of pulmonary circulation...
(1553). Just over a decade later, Valentin Weigel
Valentin Weigel
Valentin Weigel was a German theologian, philosopher and mystical writer, from Saxony, and an important precursor of later theosophy. In English he is often called Valentine Weigel....
provided a "Short Account and Introduction to the German Theology" (1571). Johann Arndt
Johann Arndt
Johann Arndt was a German Lutheran theologian who wrote several influential books of devotional Christianity...
published an edition endorsed by Philipp Jakob Spener
Philipp Jakob Spener
Philipp Jakob Spener was a German Christian theologian known as the "Father of Pietism."...
.
In 1980, Bengt R. Hoffman brought out an English translation of Luther's 1518 edition. David Blamires
David Blamires
David Blamires is a vocalist and composer and was born in Bradford, England but moved to Toronto, Canada and is one of Canada's most versatile and sought after session musicians...
’ 2003 translation is based on Wolfgang von Hinten’s 1982 critical edition.
See also
- Henry MoreHenry MoreHenry More FRS was an English philosopher of the Cambridge Platonist school.-Biography:Henry was born at Grantham and was schooled at The King's School, Grantham and at Eton College...
- Pierre PoiretPierre PoiretPierre Poiret was a prominent 17th century French mystic and Christian philosopher. He was born at Metz April 15, 1646 and died at Rijnsburg Pierre Poiret was a prominent 17th century French mystic and Christian philosopher. He was born at Metz April 15, 1646 and died at Rijnsburg Pierre Poiret was...
- Christian mysticismChristian mysticismChristian mysticism refers to the development of mystical practices and theory within Christianity. It has often been connected to mystical theology, especially in the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions...
- Meister EckhartMeister EckhartEckhart von Hochheim O.P. , commonly known as Meister Eckhart, was a German theologian, philosopher and mystic, born near Gotha, in the Landgraviate of Thuringia in the Holy Roman Empire. Meister is German for "Master", referring to the academic title Magister in theologia he obtained in Paris...
- MysticismMysticismMysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
- German mysticismGerman mysticismGerman mysticism, sometimes called Dominican mysticism or Rhineland mysticism, was a late medieval Christian mystical movement, that was especially prominent within the Dominican order and in Germany. Although its origins can be traced back to Hildegard of Bingen, it is mostly represented by...
External links
Books
- Susanna Winkworth, trans.; Theologia Germanica (Macmillan and Co., London, 1937)
- Bengt Hoffman, trans.; The Theologia Germanica of Martin Luther (The Classics of Western Spirituality (TM) series; Paulist Press; 1980)
- David Blamires, trans. Theologia Deutsch—Theologia Germanica: The Book of the Perfect Life. (Sacred Literature Series. Walnut Creek: Altamira Press, 2003)
- John Furguson, Encyclopedia of Mysticism and Mystery Religions (Crossroad: New York, 1982)