Johann Marbach (14 April 1521 – 17 March 1581) was a German

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

reformer and controversialist. Johannes-Marbach

Life

He was born at

Lindau Lindau (german: Lindau (Bodensee), ''Lindau am Bodensee''; ; Low Alemannic: ''Lindou'') is a major town and island on the eastern side of Lake Constance (''Bodensee'' in German) in Bavaria, Germany. It is the capital of the county (''Landkreis' ...

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

. He began his studies at Strasbourg in 1536, and three years later went to

Wittenberg Wittenberg ( , ; Low Saxon: ''Wittenbarg''; meaning ''White Mountain''; officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg (''Luther City Wittenberg'')), is the fourth largest town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Wittenberg is situated on the River Elbe, north o ...

, where he shared a house with

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Protestant Reformation and the namesake of Lutherani ...

and took his doctor's degree in 1543. After holding temporary positions at

Jena Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a po ...

and Isny, in 1545 he accepted a call to Strasbourg. Here, from 1545 to 1558, he was pastor of the Church of St. Nicholas; canon at St. Thomas' from 1546; professor from 1549, and from 1551 president of the Church Convocation. In 1551 he was an envoy from Strasbourg to the

Council of Trent The Council of Trent ( la, Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described a ...

. Until Martin Bucer's departure for England (1549) Marbach was on good terms with him as the recognized head of the Strasbourg Church, and remained a regular correspondent. Gradually, however, Marbach developed a more exclusive

Lutheranism Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

than that represented by other Strasbourg Reformers. In the position to the Swiss, Calvinistic, and Unionistic elements in Strasbourg, Marbach was the leader. The outcome of this conflict was evidenced in the Strasbourg ''Kirchenordnung'' of 1598, principally Marbach's work. From 1553 complaints began against the pastor of the local French refugee

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

congregation, Jean Garnier, because he did not hold the doctrine of the Strasbourg church on the

Eucharist 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 instit ...

. He was obliged to leave Strasbourg in 1555. Also that year Peter Martyr, a teacher at the High School, left for Zurich to escape making declarations on the same topic. The last prominent advocate of Unionistic-Calvinistic theology at Strasbourg was Jerome Zanchi, also a teacher of the High School, and a member of the French congregation. When in 1560 Marbach reprinted at Strasbourg the treatise of the Lutheran Tilemann Hesshusen, ''De præsentia corporis Christi in cœno Domini'' with the author's vehement preface against Frederick III, Elector Palatine and his theologians in Strasburg, open conflict broke out between Zanchi and Marbach. The main points of contention were the doctrines of the Eucharist, of Ubiquity (just then coming into prominence), and of the perseverance of the elect and

predestination Predestination, in theology, is the doctrine that all events have been willed by God, usually with reference to the eventual fate of the individual soul. Explanations of predestination often seek to address the paradox of free will, whereby G ...

. Marbach advocated his views in three major works. He combatted not only the Calvinists but the Schwenkfeldians and

Anabaptists 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. ...

, who were still active at Strasbourg; and introduced the Lutheran catechism (1554). He instituted private confession in the Church of St. Nicholas, and kept up the rite of confirmation when it began to fall into disuse in other Strasbourg churches. Marbach also took an active part in bringing about the acceptance of the

Formula of Concord Formula of Concord (1577) (German, ''Konkordienformel''; Latin, ''Formula concordiae''; also the "''Bergic Book''" or the "''Bergen Book''") is an authoritative Lutheran statement of faith (called a confession, creed, or "symbol") that, in its tw ...

; and prevailed on the Strasbourg theologians to sign the Zerbst Formula (1571), while the official acceptance of the Formula of Concord was opposed by the town council. In the Palatinate he assisted Louis VI in 1576 to restore Lutheranism after the death of Frederick III. He died at Strasbourg.

References

*https://archive.org/stream/newschaffherzog00haucgoog#page/n195/mode/2up ;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Marbach, Johann 1521 births 1581 deaths People from Lindau German Lutheran theologians Participants in the Council of Trent 16th-century German Protestant theologians German male non-fiction writers 16th-century German male writers 16th-century Lutheran theologians