Johann Habermann, also Johannes Avenarius (10 August 1516 – 5 December 1590) 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.

Life

He was born at

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other #Names and etymology, alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights, Eger is best known for Castle of Eger, its ...

(92 m. w. of

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

) on 10 August 1516. He went over to the

Lutheran Church Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

about 1540, studied theology, and filled a number of pastorates. After a brief academic activity at

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and

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, in 1575, he accepted a call as superintendent of Naumburg-Zeitz. He died at

Zeitz Zeitz (; , ) is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river White Elster, in the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Saxony. History First a Slavic pagan settlem ...

(23 m. s.w. of

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) on 5 December 1590.

Works

Though praised by his contemporaries as an ''

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

exegete Exegesis ( ; from the Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Biblical works. In modern usage, exegesis can involve critical interpretation ...

, his significance lies in the practical field. He published a number of sermons, a ''Trostbüchlein'', a life of

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

, and above all the prayer-book, ''Christliche Gebet für alle Not und Stende der gantzen Christenheit'' (1565, 2. edition 1567), in which, for the first time, the prayers for various Christian needs were apportioned among the several days of the week. With a few exceptions the prayers are written in plain Biblical language, without ornament. The work was translated into Latin, English (as ''The Enimie of Securitie,'' London, 1580), and French, and was widely circulated in Protestant circles. Despite its occasional crudities of expression the book is still used; and some of the prayers have passed into church books.

References

* Jens Lyster: ''Johannes Avenarius (Habermann), Johannes Mathesius und Nicolaus Selnecker als Vorbilder für den dänischen Theologen und Liederdichter Hans Christensen Sthen'' (1999), in: 2012, page 222-233 * Jens Lyster (ed): Hans Christensen Sthens Skrifter II, ''Christelige og vdkaarne Bøner og En Liden Haandbog'', abermann's prayerbook in the Danish translation from 1571 by Hans Christensen Sthen, page 13-180, comments and postscript page 181-288edited by Jens Lyster assisted by Jens Højgård, 2003, Society for Danish Language and Literature, Copenhagen * Jens Lyster: ''Avenarii bönner i Sthens oversättelse. Paa sporet af den danske bönnebogs 1. udgave 1571'' venarii Prayers in Sthens Translation. On the track of the first Edition of the Danish prayerbook 1571in: Kirkehistoriske Samlinger 1976, Akademisk Forlag, Copenhagen, page 67-83.

External links

* * *
Habermann's Prayerbook 1565 and 1567

at Christian Classics Ethereal Library {{DEFAULTSORT:Habermann, Johann 1516 births 1590 deaths People from Cheb German Bohemian people German Lutheran theologians Lutheran writers Lutheran sermon writers German male non-fiction writers