Johann Jakob Grynaeus or Gryner (October 1, 1540 – August 13, 1617) was a

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

Protestant Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that emphasizes Justification (theology), justification of sinners Sola fide, through faith alone, the teaching that Salvation in Christianity, salvation comes by unmerited Grace in Christianity, divin ...

divine.

Life

Grynaeus was born in

Bern Bern (), or Berne (), ; ; ; . is the ''de facto'' Capital city, capital of Switzerland, referred to as the "federal city".; ; ; . According to the Swiss constitution, the Swiss Confederation intentionally has no "capital", but Bern has gov ...

. His father, Thomas Grynaeus (1512–1564), was for a time professor of ancient languages at

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

and Bern, but afterwards became pastor of Röteln in

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

. He was nephew of the eminent Humanist Simon Grynaeus. Johann was educated at Basel, and in 1559 received an appointment as curate to his father. In 1563 he proceeded to

Tübingen Tübingen (; ) is a traditional college town, university city in central Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is situated south of the state capital, Stuttgart, and developed on both sides of the Neckar and Ammer (Neckar), Ammer rivers. about one in ...

for the purpose of completing his theological studies, and in 1565 he returned to Rötteln as successor to his father. Here he felt compelled to abjure the Lutheran doctrine of the Lord's Supper, and to renounce the Formula of Concord. Called in 1575 to the chair of

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 ...

exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (philosophy), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern us ...

at Basel, he became involved in unpleasant controversy with Simon Sulzer and other champions of Lutheran orthodoxy; and in 1584 he was glad to accept an invitation to assist in the restoration of the

University of Heidelberg Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (; ), is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is List ...

. Returning to Basel in 1586, after Simon Sulzer's death, as Antistes or superintendent of the church there and as professor of the

New Testament The New Testament (NT) is the second division of the Christian biblical canon. It discusses the teachings and person of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus, as well as events relating to Christianity in the 1st century, first-century Christianit ...

, he exerted for upwards of twenty-five years a considerable influence upon both the church and the state affairs of that community, and acquired a wide reputation as a skillful theologian of the school of

Huldrych Zwingli Huldrych or Ulrich Zwingli (1 January 1484 – 11 October 1531) was a Swiss Christian theologian, musician, and leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swis ...

. Amongst other labors he helped to reorganize the gymnasium in 1588. Five years before his death he became totally blind, but continued to preach and lecture until his death. He died in

, aged 76.

Works

His many works include commentaries on various books of the Old and New Testament, ''Theologica theoremata et problemata'' (1588), and a collection of patristic literature entitled ''Monumenia S. patrum orthodoxographa'' (2 volumes, folio, 1569). Inn 1569, Grynaeus published the first edition of several letters of the hermits Barsanuphius of Gaza and John the Prophet together with the letters of Dorotheus of Gaza.

References

External links

* * * * *
Works of Johann Jakob Grynaeus
at the Munich Digitization Center * Universität Mannheim
Listing of works of Johann Jakob Grynaeus

– Preface of Johann Jacob Grynaeus to Johannes and Joachim Brandis, Basel, April 1, 1578 {{DEFAULTSORT:Grynaeus, Johann Jakob 1540 births 1617 deaths Swiss Calvinist and Reformed theologians 16th-century Swiss writers 17th-century Swiss people 16th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians 17th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians People from Bern Swiss blind people