Wolfgang Musculus (born Müslin or Mauslein; 10 September 1497 – 30 August 1563) was a

Reformed Reform is beneficial change. Reform, reformed or reforming may also refer to: Media * ''Reform'' (album), a 2011 album by Jane Zhang * Reform (band), a Swedish jazz fusion group * ''Reform'' (magazine), a Christian magazine Places * Reform, Al ...

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 ...

of the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

Life

Born in the village of Duss (

Moselle The Moselle ( , ; ; ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz. A sm ...

), in a German-speaking area (French-speaking, from the

Thirty Years War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine, or disease, whil ...

), Musculus was a lover of song and of knowledge, of languages,

Humanism Humanism is a philosophy, philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential, and Agency (philosophy), agency of human beings, whom it considers the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The me ...

and religion. The oral tradition of his songs is still found in the churches of the Reformation. In 1527, he left the Benedictine monastery at Lixheim (now in the area of

), to serve as

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Strasbourg () and preaching assistant to Matthäus Zell while studying under Bucer and Capito. He left for Augsburg in 1531, and after 17 years of service, he left the town after the introduction of the

Augsburg Interim The Augsburg Interim (full formal title: ''Declaration of His Roman Imperial Majesty on the Observance of Religion Within the Holy Empire Until the Decision of the General Council'') was an imperial decree ordered on 15 May 1548 at the 1548 Die ...

, and came to

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

, where he was the primary professor of theology at

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 ...

from 1549. At Bern, he wrote several

biblical commentaries 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 interpretations ...

and ''Loci communes sacrae theologiae'' (''Common Places of the Christian Religion''), a major

systematic theology Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topics ...

. J. S. Bach used Musculus' 1530 hymn, a paraphrase of Psalm 23, as the text for his

chorale cantata A chorale cantata is a church cantata based on a chorale—in this context a Lutheran chorale. It is principally from the Germany, German Baroque music, Baroque era. The organizing principle is the words and music of a Lutheran hymn. Usually a chor ...

''Der Herr ist mein getreuer Hirt'', BWV 112, which he first performed in

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in 1731. He also published a book on usury entitled ''De usuris ex verbo dei'', in which he criticized the practice of the triple contract, and a German version of which appeared in Strasbourg in 1593.

Notes and references

Bibliography

* * * *. The Validity of Children at the Lord's Table in the Words of an Early Reformed Theologian. * Includes appendices on oaths and usury. *.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Musculus, Wolfgang 1497 births 1563 deaths People from Dieuze German Calvinist and Reformed theologians Swiss Calvinist and Reformed theologians 16th-century Swiss writers 16th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians German male non-fiction writers 16th-century German Roman Catholic priests German Protestant clergy German Christian monks German Protestant hymnwriters Academic staff of the University of Bern