Caspar (or Kaspar) Schwen(c)kfeld von Ossig () (1489 or 1490 – 10 December 1561) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
theologian, writer, physician, naturalist, and preacher who became a
Protestant Reformer and spiritualist. He was one of the earliest promoters of the
Protestant Reformation in
Silesia.
Schwenckfeld came to Reformation principles through
Thomas Müntzer and
Andreas Karlstadt
Andreas Rudolph Bodenstein von Karlstadt (148624 December 1541), better known as Andreas Karlstadt or Andreas Carlstadt or Karolostadt, or simply as Andreas Bodenstein, was a German Protestant theologian, University of Wittenberg chancellor, a c ...
. However, he developed his own principles and fell out with
Martin Luther over the eucharistic controversy (1524). He had his own views on the sacraments - the Heavenly Flesh doctrine - developed in close association with his humanist colleague,
Valentin Crautwald (1465–1545). His followers became a new sect (''see
Schwenckfelders
The Schwenkfelder Church () is a small American Christian body rooted in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation teachings of Caspar Schwenkfeld von Ossig (1489–1561).
History
Although followers have held the teachings of Schwenckfeld sinc ...
''), which was outlawed in Germany, but his ideas influenced
Anabaptism
Anabaptism (from Neo-Latin , from the Greek : 're-' and 'baptism', german: Täufer, earlier also )Since the middle of the 20th century, the German-speaking world no longer uses the term (translation: "Re-baptizers"), considering it biased. ...
,
Pietism
Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christian life, including a social concern for the needy and ...
on mainland Europe, and
Puritanism in
England.
Many of his followers were persecuted in Europe and thus forced to either convert or flee. Because of this, there are
Schwenkfelder Church
The Schwenkfelder Church () is a small American Christian body rooted in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation teachings of Caspar Schwenkfeld von Ossig (1489–1561).
History
Although followers have held the teachings of Schwenckfeld since ...
congregations in countries such as the
United States (which was then the
Thirteen Colonies
The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centuri ...
of
Great Britain).
Life
Early life
Schwenckfeld was born in
Ossig near Liegnitz,
Silesia now
Osiek, near
Legnica,
Poland, to noble parents in 1489. From 1505 to 1507 he was a student in
Cologne, and in 1507 enrolled at the
University of Frankfurt on the Oder. Between 1511 and 1523, Schwenckfeld served the
Duchy of Liegnitz
The Duchy of Legnica ( pl, Księstwo Legnickie, cs, Lehnické knížectví) or Duchy of Liegnitz (german: Herzogtum Liegnitz) was one of the Duchies of Silesia. Its capital was Legnica (''Liegnitz'') in Lower Silesia.
Legnica Castle had become ...
as an adviser to Duke Charles I (1511–1515), Duke George I (1515–1518), and Duke Frederick II (1518–1523).
From Catholic to Magisterial Reformer to Radical Reformer
In 1518 or 1519, Schwenckfeld experienced an awakening that he called a "visitation of God". Luther's writings had a deep influence on Schwenckfeld, and he embraced the "
Lutheran" Reformation and became a student of the Scriptures. In 1521, Schwenckfeld began to preach the gospel, and in 1522 won Duke Friedrich II over to Protestantism. He organized a ''Brotherhood'' of his converts for the purpose of study and prayer in 1523. In 1525, he rejected Luther's idea of
Real Presence
The real presence of Christ in the Eucharist is the Christian doctrine that Jesus Christ is present in the Eucharist, not merely symbolically or metaphorically, but in a true, real and substantial way.
There are a number of Christian denomin ...
and came to a spiritual interpretation of the
Lord's Supper
The Eucharist (; from Greek , , ), also known as Holy Communion and the Lord's Supper, is a Christian rite that is considered a sacrament in most churches, and as an ordinance in others. According to the New Testament, the rite was institut ...
, which was subsequently rejected by Luther. Schwenckfeld began to teach that the true believer ate the spiritual body of Christ. He pushed for reformation wherever he went, but also criticized reformers that he thought went to extremes. He emphasized that for one to be a true Christian, one must not change only outwardly but inwardly. Because of the communion and other controversies, Schwenckfeld broke with Luther and followed what some describe as a "middle way". Because of his break from Luther and the
Magisterial Reformation, scholars typically categorize Schwenckfeld as a member of the
Radical Reformation
The Radical Reformation represented a response to corruption both in the Catholic Church and in the expanding Magisterial Protestant movement led by Martin Luther and many others. Beginning in Germany and Switzerland in the 16th century, the R ...
. He voluntarily exiled himself from Silesia in 1529 in order to relieve pressure on and embarrassment of his duke. He lived in
Strassburg from 1529–1534 and then in
Swabia.
Teachings
Some of the teachings of Schwenckfeld included opposition to war, secret societies, and oath-taking, that the government had no right to command one's conscience, that regeneration is by grace through inner work of the Spirit, that believers feed on Christ spiritually, and that believers must give evidence of regeneration. He rejected
infant baptism, outward church forms, and "denominations". His views on the Eucharist prompted Luther to publish several sermons on the subject in his 1526 ''
''.
Publications
In 1540
Martin Luther expelled Caspar Schwenckfeld from
Silesia. In 1541, Schwenckfeld published the ''Great Confession on the Glory of Christ''. Many considered the writing to be heretical. He taught that Christ had two natures, divine and human, but that he became progressively more divine. He also published a number of works about interpreting the Scriptures during the 1550s, often responding to the rebuttals of the Lutheran Reformer
Matthias Flacius Illyricus
Matthias Flacius Illyricus (Latin; hr, Matija Vlačić Ilirik) or Francovich ( hr, Franković) (3 March 1520 – 11 March 1575) was a Lutheran reformer from Istria, present-day Croatia. He was notable as a theologian, sometimes dissenting stro ...
.
Schwenckfeld's ''Theriotropheum Silesiae'' is considered the world's oldest published local faunal list containing a list of the animals of Silesia including 150 bird species.
Death
In 1561, Schwenckfeld became sick with dysentery, and gradually grew weaker until he died in
Ulm
Ulm () is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Danube on the border with Bavaria. The city, which has an estimated population of more than 126,000 (2018), forms an urban district of its own (german: link=no ...
on the morning of December 10, 1561. Because of his enemies, the fact of his death and the place of his burial were kept secret.
Schwenkfelder Church
Schwenckfeld did not organize a separate church during his lifetime, but followers seemed to gather around his writings and sermons. In 1700 there were about 1,500 of them in Lower Silesia. Many fled Silesia under persecution of the Austrian emperor, and some found refuge on the lands of Count
Nicolaus Ludwig Zinzendorf and his
Herrnhuter Brüdergemeinde. These followers became known as Schwenkfelders. A group arrived in Philadelphia in 1731, followed by five more migrations up to 1737. In 1782, the Society of Schwenkfelders was formed, and in 1909 the
Schwenkfelder Church
The Schwenkfelder Church () is a small American Christian body rooted in the 16th-century Protestant Reformation teachings of Caspar Schwenkfeld von Ossig (1489–1561).
History
Although followers have held the teachings of Schwenckfeld since ...
was organized.
The Schwenkfelder Church has remained small, and currently there are five
[
For a number of years there were only five churches, but the ''Schwenkfelder Missionary Church'' was recently formed in Philadelphia.
] churches with about 3,000 members in southeastern Pennsylvania. All of these bodies are within a fifty-mile radius of
Philadelphia.
Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center
The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center is a small museum, library and archives in
Pennsburg, Pennsylvania
Pennsburg is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Its population was 3,889 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Upper Perkiomen School District. It is also part of the strip of small towns that run together along Route 29: Red Hill, ...
. It is the only institution dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the Schwenkfelder story, including Caspar Schwenckfeld, the
Radical Reformation
The Radical Reformation represented a response to corruption both in the Catholic Church and in the expanding Magisterial Protestant movement led by Martin Luther and many others. Beginning in Germany and Switzerland in the 16th century, the R ...
, religious toleration, the Schwenkfelders in Europe and America, and the Schwenkfelder Church. The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center has exhibits and programs throughout the year.
Notes
References
*
Peter C. Erb: ''Schwenckfeld in his Reformation Setting''.
Valley Forge, Pa: Judson Press, 1978.
* Edited by
Chester David Hartranft et alii: ''Corpus Schwenkfeldianorum'' . Vols. 1-19. Leipzig:
Breitkopf & Härtel
Breitkopf & Härtel is the world's oldest music publishing house. The firm was founded in 1719 in Leipzig by Bernhard Christoph Breitkopf.
The catalogue currently contains over 1,000 composers, 8,000 works and 15,000 music editions or books on ...
, 1907–1961.
*
Paul L. Maier: ''Caspar Schwenckfeld on the Person and Work of Christ. A Study of Schwenckfeldian Theology at Its Core.'' Assen, The Netherlands: Royal Van Gorcum Ltd, 1959.
*
R. Emmet McLaughlin: ''Caspar Schwenckfeld, reluctant radical : his life to 1540.'' New Haven : Yale University Press, 1986
*
Rufus M. Jones
Rufus Matthew Jones (January 25, 1863 – June 16, 1948) was an American religious leader, writer, magazine editor, philosopher, and college professor. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Haverford Emergency Unit (a precursor to ...
: ''Spiritual reformers in the 16th and 17th centuries''. London: Macmillan, 1914.
*
Douglas H. Shantz: ''Crautwald and Erasmus. A Study in Humanism and Radical Reform in Sixteenth Century Silesia''. Baden-Baden:
Valentin Koerner, 1992.
External links
The Life & Thought of Caspar Schwenckfeld von Ossigin ''Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online''
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwenkfeld, Kaspar
15th-century births
1561 deaths
16th-century German Protestant theologians
16th-century German male writers
Deaths from dysentery
German male non-fiction writers
German Protestant Reformers
German spiritualists
Infectious disease deaths in Germany
People from Lubin County
Silesian-German people
Silesian nobility
European University Viadrina alumni