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Wolfgang Fabricius Capito (also Koepfel) ( – November 1541) was a
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Protestant reformer in the
Calvinist 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 Protestantism, Continenta ...
tradition.


His life and revolutionary work

Capito was born circa 1478 to a smith at
Hagenau Haguenau (; or ; ; historical ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Bas-Rhin Département in France, department of France, of which it is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture. It is second in size in the Bas-Rhin only to Strasbourg ...
in
Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...
. He attended the famous Latin school in Pforzheim, where his friend
Philip Melanchthon Philip Melanchthon (born Philipp Schwartzerdt; 16 February 1497 – 19 April 1560) was a German Lutheran reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, an intellectual leader of the L ...
studied. He was educated for the medical profession but also studied
law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...
. He received a doctorate in theology at
Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...
. Having joined the
Benedictines The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly Christian mysticism, contemplative Christian monasticism, monastic Religious order (Catholic), order of the Catholic Church for men and f ...
, taught for some time at Freiburg. He acted for three years as pastor in
Bruchsal Bruchsal (; South Franconian: ''Brusl'') is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Bruchsal is the lar ...
. In 1516 he became cathedral preacher of
Basel Minster Basel Minster (German: ''Basler Münster'') is a religious building in the Switzerland, Swiss city of Basel, originally a Roman Catholic cathedral and today a Continental Reformed church, Reformed Protestant church. The original cathedral was bu ...
. Here he made the acquaintance of
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 Swi ...
and began to correspond with Luther. He persuaded
Johann Froben Johann Froben, in Latin: Johannes Frobenius (and combinations), (c. 1460 – 27 October 1527) was a famous printer, publisher and learned Renaissance humanist in Basel. He was a close friend of Erasmus and cooperated closely with Hans Holbein t ...
to publish a collection of Luther's works in 1518. In 1519, he removed to
Mainz Mainz (; #Names and etymology, see below) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, and with around 223,000 inhabitants, it is List of cities in Germany by population, Germany's 35th-largest city. It lies in ...
at the request of Albrecht, archbishop of that city, who soon made him his chancellor. In 1523 he settled at
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 ...
, where he remained until his death in November 1541. He had found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the new religion with the old, and from 1524 was one of the leaders of the reformed faith in Strasbourg. He took a prominent part in the earlier ecclesiastical transactions of the 16th century, was present at the second conference of
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
and at the conference of
Marburg Marburg (; ) is a college town, university town in the States of Germany, German federal state () of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf Districts of Germany, district (). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has ...
, and along with
Martin Bucer Martin Bucer (; Early German: ; 11 November 1491– 28 February 1551) was a German Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Anglican doctrines and practices as well as Reformed Theology. Bucer was originally a memb ...
drew up the ''
Confessio Tetrapolitana The Tetrapolitan Confession (, ), also called the Strasbourg Confession or Swabian Confession, was an early Protestant confession of faith drawn up by Martin Bucer and Wolfgang Capito and presented to the Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Augsburg o ...
''. Capito was always more concerned for the "unity of the spirit" than for dogmatic formularies, and from his endeavours to conciliate the
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 ...
and
Zwinglian The theology of Ulrich Zwingli was based on an interpretation of the Bible, taking scripture as the inspired word of God and placing its authority higher than what he saw as human sources such as the ecumenical councils and the Church Fathers. He ...
parties in regard to the sacraments, he seems to have incurred the suspicions of his own friends; while from his intimacy with
Martin Cellarius Martin Borrhaus (Latin: Martin Cellarius) (1499 – 11 October 1564) was a German Protestant theologian and reformer. Life Borrhaus was born in Stuttgart and raised as an adopted child of a Simon Keller. He enrolled at the University of Tübingen, ...
and other divines of the
Socinian Socinianism ( ) is a Nontrinitarian Christian belief system developed and co-founded during the Protestant Reformation by the Italian Renaissance humanists and theologians Lelio Sozzini and Fausto Sozzini, uncle and nephew, respectively. I ...
school he drew on himself the charge of
Arianism Arianism (, ) is a Christology, Christological doctrine which rejects the traditional notion of the Trinity and considers Jesus to be a creation of God, and therefore distinct from God. It is named after its major proponent, Arius (). It is co ...
. In 1532, Capito married
Wibrandis Rosenblatt Wibrandis Rosenblatt (1504–1564) was the wife of three major religious reformers, who predeceased her: Johannes Oecolampadius (married, 1528–1531), Wolfgang Capito (married, 1532–1541), and Martin Bucer (married, 1542–1551). Family li ...
, the widow of Oecolampadius. After Wolfgang Capito's death, she married
Martin Bucer Martin Bucer (; Early German: ; 11 November 1491– 28 February 1551) was a German Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Anglican doctrines and practices as well as Reformed Theology. Bucer was originally a memb ...
. Capito died in
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 ...
.


Works

His principal works were: *''Institutionum Hebraicarum libri duo'' *''Enarrationes in Habacuc et Hoseam Prophetas'' * a life of
Oecolampadius Johannes Oecolampadius (also ''Œcolampadius'', in German also Oekolampadius, Oekolampad; 1482 – 24 November 1531) was a German Protestant reformer in the Calvinist tradition from the Electoral Palatinate. He was the leader of the Protestant f ...
and an account of the synod of Bern (1532) * a Greek version of the ''
Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; , ; ) is one of two major Ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Odyssey'', the poem is divided into 24 books and ...
'' in which he refers to himself as or


See also

*
Hochstratus Ovans ''Hochstratus Ovans'' is a dialogue published in Cologne in 1520 referring to Jacob van Hoogstraten. In it, Johann Maier Eck and Girolamo Aleandro are reproached for burning Martin Luther's books. Martin Bucer Martin Bucer (; Early Ge ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Capito, Wolfgang Fabricius 1470s births 1541 deaths People from Haguenau 16th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians Alsatian-German people German Protestant Reformers University of Freiburg alumni Heidelberg University alumni University of Ingolstadt alumni German Benedictines