Nicholas of Basel (1308 - c. 1395) was a prominent member of the

Beghard The Beguines () and the Beghards () were Christianity, Christian laity, lay religious orders that were active in Western Europe, particularly in the Low Countries, in the 13th–16th centuries. Their members lived in monasticism, semi-monastic ...

community, who travelled widely as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thoma ...

and propagated the teachings of his sect.

Life

Nicholas of Basel was born 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 ...

, Switzerland, in 1308. The son of a rich merchant, he inherited substantial wealth. His life of pleasure was interrupted by a spiritual experience, after which he became a devout religious teacher. Nicholas was called by his followers the "Great Layman" or the "Great Friend of God". This has led to some confusion that he was a leader of the 14th century lay mystical society the Friends of God, although this has been discounted. Nicholas' teachings that, although not ordained, he had the authority to use episcopal and priestly powers, that submission to his direction was necessary for attaining spiritual perfection, and that his followers could not sin even though they committed crimes or disobeyed both Church and pope were at odds with those of the Dominican-inspired Friends of God. His teachings are akin to some of the more radical Beghards and the Brethren of the Free Spirit. Though vigorously sought after by the

Inquisition The Inquisition was a Catholic Inquisitorial system#History, judicial procedure where the Ecclesiastical court, ecclesiastical judges could initiate, investigate and try cases in their jurisdiction. Popularly it became the name for various med ...

, he eluded its agents for many years until around 1395, he was seized in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, and

burned at the stake Death by burning is an list of execution methods, execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a puni ...

as a

heretic Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, particularly the accepted beliefs or religious law of a religious organization. A heretic is a proponent of heresy. Heresy in Christianity, Judai ...

, together with two of his followers, John and James. A considerable legend has attached itself to Nicholas through the persistent but mistaken identification of him with the mysterious " Friend of God from the Oberland,"Carl Schmidt, Nicolaus von Basel, Leben and Wirlen, Vienna, 1866 the "double" of Rulman Merswin, the

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 ...

banker who was one of the leaders of the 14th-century

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 ...

s known as the Friends of God.

Notes

References

* {{Authority control 1308 births 1397 deaths 14th-century Christian mystics Beguines and Beghards Christian radicalism Heresy in Christianity in the Middle Ages People executed by Austria by burning People executed for heresy Roman Catholic mystics

Life

See also

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References