Christian Schütz (theologian)

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Christian Schütz

Christian Schütz (also Schütze , Sagittarius or Toxotes ; born January 5, 1526 in Waldkappel , † January 10, 1592 in Dresden ) was a German Evangelical Lutheran theologian and pastor.

Life

Christian Schütz was born in Waldkappel in 1526 as the son of the Hessian pastor and later Saxon superintendent Johann Schütz. He attended the Latin School of Rochlitz and on June 22, 1547 moved to the University of Wittenberg , where he joined Philipp Melanchthon . With Cyriakus Spangenberg he acquired the academic degree of a master’s degree in 1550 after having been a Baccalaureus in Rochlitz for a year from 1549 . In the same year he became a pastor in Reinersdorf . In 1551 he went to the Kreuzkirche in Dresden as a deacon , became superintendent in Chemnitz in 1552 and court preacher to Duke August von Sachsen in 1553 .

After the early death of Duke Moritz von Sachsen , August 1553 took over the affairs of state of the Electorate of Saxony , and so Schütz became court preacher in Dresden. At the same time he took over the education of princes Alexander (1554–1565) and Christian (* 1560). In this position he gained the trust of the electoral family and was valued by them as an advisor. So he took part in negotiations in Frankfurt and Naumburg and, in agreement with the Wittenberg theologians Georg Major and Paul Eber, kept the Elector away from the Maulbronn Colloquium in 1564. As a Philippist , he endeavored to enforce Melanchthon's approximate stand against the Gnesiolutherans . After the Gnesiolutheran Georg Lysthenius was drawn to the Saxon court in 1573, the theological standpoint of the elector changed.

The reason for this was probably also the rash actions of Schütz. For example, he had brought a Reformed Bible to the Dresden court church, mocked the Saxon court in letters and made himself suspicious of supporting Calvinism . The elector, who was angry about this, had him and his friends tried before a court of the court councilors and then before the state parliament committee in Torgau , where he was supposed to sign the Torgau Articles in 1574 . Because he refused, he was arrested and only when he showed understanding of the measure was he placed under house arrest . After the elector's death in 1586, Urban Pierius gave him full freedom of movement. He was denied a theological office until the end of his life.

Schütz was married to Katharina, a daughter of Freiberg superintendent Kaspar Zeuner . Several children came from the marriage, some of whom became clergy in Bremen and the sons Christian, August, Caspar and Johannes are known.

literature

predecessor Office successor
Johann Weiss Court preacher in Dresden
1553–1574 		Martin Mirus
personal data
SURNAME Schütz, Christian
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Christian Sagittarius; Christian Toxotes
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German Lutheran theologian
DATE OF BIRTH January 5, 1526
PLACE OF BIRTH Waldkappel
DATE OF DEATH January 10, 1592
Place of death Dresden