Friedrich Myconius (originally named Friedrich Mekum and also Friedrich Mykonius) (26 December 1490 – 7 April 1546) was a German

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

theologian Theology is the study of religious belief from a religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of ...

and Protestant reformer. He was a colleague of

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

. Myconius was born in

Lichtenfels, Bavaria Lichtenfels () is a Town#Germany, town in the Upper Franconian region of Bavaria, Germany, the administrative seat of Lichtenfels (district), Lichtenfels district. It is chiefly known as the German "Basket City". Geography It is situated on the u ...

, and he was educated there and at Annaberg, where he had an encounter with Johann Tetzel, a Dominican, in a disagreement over

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s. His teacher, named Staffelstein, persuaded him in 1510 to enter the

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. That same night a dream turned his thoughts towards the religious standpoint which he subsequently reached as a Lutheran. From Annaberg he passed to Franciscan communities at

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and

Weimar Weimar is a city in the state (Germany), German state of Thuringia, in Central Germany (cultural area), Central Germany between Erfurt to the west and Jena to the east, southwest of Leipzig, north of Nuremberg and west of Dresden. Together w ...

, where he was ordained priest in 1516. He had endeavoured to satisfy his mind with scholastic divinity, but next year his "eyes and ears were opened" by the

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of Luther, whom he met when Luther stopped at Weimar on his way to

Augsburg Augsburg ( , ; ; ) is a city in the Bavaria, Bavarian part of Swabia, Germany, around west of the Bavarian capital Munich. It is a College town, university town and the regional seat of the Swabia (administrative region), Swabia with a well ...

. As he became a friend and co-worker of Luther, he preached Luther's message to the people of

and

Gotha Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine Wettins from 1640 until the ...

, where he founded the Gotha Gymnasium. He was intimately connected with the general progress of the reforming movement, and was especially in the confidence of Luther. Twice he was entrusted with the ordering of the churches and schools in

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

. He took a leading part in all the religious disputations and conferences of the time, and at the 1537 Convention of Smalkald he signed the articles on his own behalf and that of his friend Justus Menius. In 1538, Myconius was sent to

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to discuss the details of the

Augsburg Confession The Augsburg Confession (), also known as the Augustan Confession or the Augustana from its Latin name, ''Confessio Augustana'', is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheranism, Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of th ...

, as theologian to the embassy which hoped to induce

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...

to make common cause with the Lutheran reformation. Later, he wrote a history of the reformation. In 1540 Myconius became sick and was expected to die within a short time. On his bed he wrote a loving farewell note to Luther with a trembling hand. Luther received the letter and sent back a reply: "I command thee in the name of God to live because I still have need of thee in the work of reforming the church... The Lord will never let me hear that thou art dead, but will permit thee to survive me. For this I am praying, this is my will, and may my will be done, because I seek only to glorify the name of God." Although Myconius had already lost the ability to speak when Luther's letter came, he recovered completely and lived six more years to survive Luther himself by two months. He had nine children, four of whom were living in 1542.

References

*Gross, Ernie. ''This Day in Religion''. New York:Neal-Schuman, 1990. . 1490 births 1546 deaths People from Lichtenfels, Bavaria German Lutheran theologians {{Christian-theologian-stub