Philipp Melanchthon: A short introduction

 Philipp Melanchthon: A short introduction

ABSTRACT

He had been responsible for changing the secondary and tertiary educational programs in Germany. He had been in charge of a new theological program. He composed the initial Protestant'systematic theology' and has been the writer of the Confessio Augustana. He's known as the'instructor of Germany and Europe'. Regardless of all of the jealousy, many South Africans know very little about this significant theologian. In this year of jubilee, it's very important that a brief introduction to his work and life be printed - in the expectation he would receive more attention in future from South American scholars.

Philipp1 Melanchthon was the colleague and friend of Martin Luther (cf. Müller 2010 for the association between both reformers in addition to the differences between the both of these ). He, as the guy next to Martin Luther, received very little attention in African American newspapers connected into the Reformed tradition previously. His name is said now and then, but that I know of just 1 post in the recent years on this guy (cf. Van Wyk 2013). This isn't simple to comprehend, therefore Melanchthon's standing as Reformation theologian. Melanchthon was the writer of this Confessio Augustana, he had been accountable for a new arrangement of theological training (cf. Köpf 2013), he wrote the first handbook in'systematic theology' and that he had been the most lecturer and mentor of Zacharius Ursinus, that had been mainly responsible for composing the Heidelberg Catechism (cf. Ehmann 2012; Van Wyk 2013). It's thus odd that Melanchthon was almost completely ignored by the theologians of the Reformed tradition. In the Lutheran associations, Melanchthon most likely receives the attention that he deserves.

The HTS Theological Studies makes it feasible to present Melanchthon in this exceptional collection, Reformation 1517-2017, to its own readership. We expect this won't be the previous post with this guy who had been at a certain sense the chief theologian of the Reformation.

The report begins with a brief biography of Melanchthon. In the next segment, we take a look at a few of his gifts to the Reformation. It's accompanied by a compact summary of a number of the fundamental ideas and insights of his theology. We finish with an investigation into his comprehension of prayer because prayer played an essential part in his private lifestyle and theological work.

Melanchthon was left in 1508 following the death of his father and grandfather. His mom sent him to live with his maternal grandmother in Pforzheim that allowed him to attend the esteemed Latin school. At this college, he had been introduced into Latin, Greek and the doctrine of Aristotle. Since his youth, he had been affected by his grandma's brother, Johann Reuchlin, who was a renowned humanist scholar. This was a habit among the humanists of the moment. He afterwards (1531) altered his title to a simpler variant, specifically Melanthon, but the academic community never followed closely in this respect (Jung 2010a:13; Kuropka 2010:19).

With the support of Reuchlin, Melanchthon was able to afford a college education. He began his tertiary studies in October 1509 at Heidelberg at age 12. He studied Greek, philosophy, scrapbooking and rhetoric in Heidelberg. About 10 June 1511 - after just two decades of research - he obtained the amount Baccalaureus atrium in through antiqua (Scholasticism). He immediately started his research for the Master of Arts. When a year after he had finished the requirements for this amount too, his application had been denied by the school, who mentioned his youthful age as their motive. The University of Tübingen, nevertheless, let him enrolment. Besides Greek, in addition, he studied medicine and mathematics. On 25 January 1514, he got his Master of Arts, but this period in through moderna (Nominalism). For another 4 Decades, Melanchthon taught Greek in Tübingen. About 15 May 1518, he printed a Greek Grammar which has been used as a textbook for many years to come (cf. Scheible 2016:24-33).

About 28 August 1518he became professor of Greek Wittenberg in age 21 due to this commendation of the grand-uncle Reuchlin. His inaugural speech ([1518] 2011d), About Reforming the Research of this Youth, impressed Luther a whole lot. He contended that educational reform could be possible by analyzing the classics in their original languages, by simply going back to the resources, including notably a new look in the works of Aristotle, and using this method, pupils could be educated to pursue authentic philosophy, philology, rhetoric and dialectic, rather than the stale customs of guys pawned off as understanding. Luther was convinced that Melanchthon was a present sent to Wittenberg from God. The pupil population tripled over 3 years following his birth. He immediately began studying Scripture, particularly Paul, also'evangelical theology' with Martin Luther. On 19 September 1519, he obtained the amount Baccalaureus biblicus.

There, he had a short experience with Johann Eck. This novel was the beginning point of Melanchthon's apologetic function as Reformer. As rector, from March 1523, he pioneered many different changes in the college. He insisted on a mentor to each student. He shifted the conventional disputations. He chased them insisted on a thematic strategy. In addition, he introduced declamations - coaching in public language (cf. Scheible 2002:1003). In 1525 he obtained, together with Luther, outstanding standing. Both obtained enormous wages and large homes (which were utilized as hostels for students from overseas ).

In 1520 Luther'compelled' him to wed Katharina Krapp. Though he didn't need to get married, the couple had been happily married. Her miserable union plunged him for many years to a deep state of depression (Jung 2010a:93-99). He was buried alongside Martin Luther from the'Castle-church' at Wittenberg.

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