David of Augsburg (early 13th century – 19 November 1272) was a

medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...

German mystic The Friends of God (German: Gottesfreunde; or gotesvriunde) was a medieval mystical group of both ecclesiastical and lay persons within the Catholic Church (though it nearly became a separate sect) and a center of German mysticism. It was founde ...

, and a

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

friar. It is believed that he probably joined the Franciscan Order at

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

. He was the master of novices in the Franciscan houses at Regensburg and Augsburg. He wrote the acclaimed "'' Formula Novitiorum''". His major work, written in the 1240s, is entitled ''The Composition of the Interior and Exterior Man according to the Triple states of Beginners, Proficient, and Perfect''. It is composed of three different treatises whose dates and relationships are difficult to determine. It was popular, since close to 400 manuscripts of the whole or parts survive, along with numerous translations. He also composed various vernacular texts in Middle High German (24 are known, though at times doubt has been cast on the veracity of the attribution). The most notable of these are ''The Seven Stages of Prayer'', and ''Concerning the Manifestation and Salvation of the Human Race''.

References

German Franciscans 13th-century births 1272 deaths 13th-century Christian mystics Roman Catholic mystics History of Augsburg Year of birth unknown {{Germany-reli-bio-stub

Further reading

References