Luke (Lukáš) of Prague (Czech: ''Lukáš Pražský'', d. December 11, 1528) was a bishop of the

Unitas Fratrum , image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , caption = Church emblem featuring the Agnus Dei.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States , main_classification = Proto-Prot ...

, one of the most significant

theologians Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...

of the

Bohemian Reformation The Bohemian Reformation (also known as the Czech Reformation or Hussite Reformation), preceding the Reformation of the 16th century, was a Christian movement in the late medieval and early modern Kingdom and Crown of Bohemia (mostly what is n ...

. Luke of Prague was born in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

in the late 1450s and grew up in Prague. He attended University of Prague where he studied the standard church fathers and medieval teachers but was also exposed to the writings of

Petr Chelčický Petr Chelčický (; c. 1390 – c. 1460) was a Czech Christian spiritual leader and author in the 15th century Bohemia, now the Czech Republic. He was one of the most influential thinkers of the Bohemian Reformation. Petr Chelčický inspire ...

. He graduated from the University of Prague on October 2, 1481. Luke encountered the Unitas Fratrum around the time he graduated from University and after reading some their writings and meeting with members in

Litomyšl Litomyšl (; german: Leitomischl) is a town in Svitavy District in the Pardubice Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 9,900 inhabitants. It is former bishopric and Latin Catholic titular see. Litomyšl is known for the château-type castle ...

, decided to accept their basic principles and become a member. Around the time that Luke joined the Unitas Fratrum, the “seclusionary and narrow views” of the early members of the Unity were being challenged by views that “were not so completely terrified of any involvement in the outside world.” During this difficult time, Luke and three other members were sent to find a Christian community “fully keeping and living the “apostolic faith.” Luke travelled to through

the Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and covered the Turkish lands in Europe and Asia but did not find any such communities. Luke wrote ''Bárka'' 'The Ship''in 1493 as an allegorical tale where the Unity was depicted as a boat that was weathering a storm. ''The Ship'' sought to address the issues that were dividing the Unity but also illustrates Luke’s theology that “involves a full dependence on Christ.” The Unitas Fratrum went into an open schism in 1495 with the church divided into the Minor Party representing the views of the early members of the Unity and the Major Party backing the ideas of Luke and other newer members. The viewpoint of Luke and those that felt similarly ultimately prevailed at a Synod in Rychnov in 1494. Luke was elected to the Inner Council of the Church at that Synod. Luke was the head of the Unity when the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

began and corresponded 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 ...

.Nola Reed Knouse, The Music of the Moravian Church in America (Rochester: University of Rochester Press, 2008), 277. Luke died on December 11, 1528 in

Mladá Boleslav Mladá Boleslav (; german: Jungbunzlau) is a city in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 42,000 inhabitants. Mladá Boleslav is the second most populated city in the region and a major centre of the Czech automotive in ...

References

{{Authority control 1528 deaths 15th-century Bohemian Roman Catholic theologians 16th-century Bohemian Roman Catholic theologians Czech theologians Bishops of the Moravian Church