Leonhard Hutter (also ''Hütter'', Latinized as Hutterus; 19 January 1563 – 23 October 1616) 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 ...

Life

He was born at Nellingen near Ulm. From 1581 he studied at the universities of

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

Leipzig Leipzig (, ; ; Upper Saxon: ; ) is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, eighth-largest city in Ge ...

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; ; ) is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fifth-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of studen ...

and

Jena Jena (; ) is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in Germany and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 in ...

. In 1594 he began to give theological lectures at

, and in 1596 accepted a call as professor of

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

Wittenberg Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...

, where he died twenty years later.

Works

Hutter was a stern champion of Lutheran orthodoxy, as set down in the confessions and embodied in his own ''Compendium locorum theologicorum'' (1610; reprinted 1863), being so faithful to his master as to win the title of "Luther redonatus." In reply to Rudolf Hospinian's ''Concordia discors'' (1607), he wrote a work, rich in historical material but one-sided in its argument, ''Concordia concors'' (1614), defending the formula of Concord, which he regarded as inspired. His ''Irenicum vere christianum'' is directed against David Pareus (1548–1622), professor primarius at Heidelberg, who in ''Irenicum sive de unione et synodo Evangelicorum'' (1614) had pleaded for a reconciliation of

Lutheranism 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 ...

and

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

; his ''Calvinista aulico-politicus'' (1610) was written against the "damnable Calvinism" which was becoming prevalent in Holstein and

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

. Another work, based on the Formula of Concord, was entitled ''Loci communes theologici''.

Notes

References

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hutter, Leonhard 1563 births 1616 deaths People from Alb-Donau-Kreis 17th-century writers in Latin German Lutheran theologians 17th-century German Protestant theologians Academic staff of the University of Wittenberg German male non-fiction writers 17th-century German male writers 16th-century Lutheran theologians 17th-century Lutheran theologians