Balthasar Rhaw (II.)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Balthasar Rhaw

Balthasar Rhaw (II.) , Also: Rhau, Rau (* December 8, 1601 in Greifswald ; † February 18, 1658 in Stralsund ) was a German logician, metaphysician and Lutheran theologian.

Life

Balthasar Rhaw, a grandson of the Greifswald theologian Balthasar Rhaw (I.) , was born as the son of Greifswald law professor Augustin Rhaw . He was baptized one day after his birth and was raised by his grandmother from 1601. This ensured that he received private tutors who trained him until he was sixteen. In 1616 he moved to the University of Greifswald , where he began studying law after initial basic philosophical education. At the urging of his grandmother, however, he switched to studying theology. After his father moved to Wolgast in 1619 , Alexander Christiani became his leading sponsor.

In 1620 he moved to the University of Wittenberg and had found accommodation in Friedrich Balduin’s house . He attended his lectures, but also those of Wolfgang Franz , Balthasar Meisner and Nikolaus Hunnius . In Wittenberg he eagerly participated in disputations, educated himself on issues of Lutheran orthodoxy and was trained in preaching at the Dobien village church, the Wittenberg town and castle church . In 1623 his mother called him to Wolgast, where he was the preacher of the princely widow.

In 1625 he returned to Wittenberg, where he acquired the degree of master's degree on October 5, 1625, and was appointed professor of logic and metaphysics at the University of Greifswald the next day . However, he was granted some respite to take up the position. So he was able to go to the University of Jena , where he was accepted by Johann Gerhard . On November 7, 1625, however, he had to take up his professorship in Greifswald. In Greifswald he tied closely to Barthold von Krakevitz , from whom he preached several times, gave theological lectures and who encouraged him to obtain a licentiate in theology. He acquired this on January 31, 1627; on October 26, 1628 he was ordained and introduced as pastor at St. Marienkirche in Greifswald. On January 9, 1629 he also became an assessor at the spiritual consistory .

During the Thirty Years' War he lost almost all of his possessions, lived through the plague, was rector of the Alma Mater in 1637/38 and on October 16, 1639 became pastor of the St. Nicolaikirche and superintendent of Stralsund. He worked here for another twenty years. Loved and respected by his community for his sincere piety, gentleness and patience, valued by his contemporaries and co-religionists as a mighty preacher, skilled catechist and zealous polemicist against Jesuits and Calvinists . Breast disease put an end to his life. He was buried on March 10, 1658 in the St. Nicolaikirche Stralsund.

Works

Of his writings, the most important were his “Theologia catechetica.” (Stralsund 1657, 1664) and his “Theologia polemica” published in Rostock by his grandson Zacharias Grapius (1671–1713) in 4 volumes (Rostock 1709), “an extract from the very best scriptoribus polemicis ” .

In addition, he published some minor polemical writings against the papacy and the Jesuits, especially a defense against the Jesuit claim that the designation of the Pope as the Antichrist contained a crimen laesae majestatis . Furthermore, an academic speech “De imminente ruina academiae” 1638, several writings on the occasion of the dispute at the time about the relationship between philosophy and theology ( “De philosophia propriis limitibus circumscripta” and “De ministeriali opera, qua servit theologiae philosophia sobria” 1627), one dogmatic treatise “De satisfactione Christi” , “Sermons on the prophet Daniel” 1647 and “Decoration of the holy marital status” 1647, 1650.

family

His marriage to Catharina, the eldest daughter of Barthold von Krakevitz , on September 21, 1630 resulted in seven children. Known by the children is:

See also

literature

  • Julius August Wagenmann:  Rhaw, Balthasar . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 28, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1889, p. 371 f.
  • Fritz Roth : Complete evaluations of funeral sermons for genealogical and cultural-historical purposes. 1560-1750. R. 4516.
  • Edmund Lange : The Greifswald collection Vitae Pomeranorum. Verlag Julius Abel, Greifswald 1898, p. 308.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Year of birth deviating in other sources: 1600.
  2. ↑ The date of death in other sources varies: February 28, March 18, March 28.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Rhaw, Balthasar
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Rhaw, Balthasar II .; Rhau, Balthasar; Rau, Balthasar
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German logician, metaphysician and Lutheran theologian
DATE OF BIRTH 1600 or December 8, 1601
PLACE OF BIRTH Greifswald
DATE OF DEATH February 18, 1658 or February 28, 1658 or March 18, 1658 or March 28, 1658
Place of death Stralsund