Georg Schomann

Georg Schomann (Polish Jerzy Szoman ; * 1530 in Racibórz , † 1591 in Chmielnik ) was a Polish theologian , representative of Polish Unitarianism and one of the translators of the Brest Bible , the first Protestant Polish translation of the Bible.

life and work

Schomann studied between 1552 and 1554 at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow and then in Wittenberg , where he met Philipp Melanchthon and adopted Lutheran views. Soon, however, he turned to Calvinism and moved to Pińczów , where he became pastor of the Reformed community and at the same time teacher of the local school. In Pińczów he came into contact with Giorgio Biandrata and other anti-Trinitarians who were able to win him over to their views critical of the Trinity. Here he got married and founded a theologically oriented library. He was also one of the translators of the Brest Bible published in 1563 .

His interest in Anabaptist theology led him on a trip to Moravia in 1569 , where he visited Hutterite congregations . Back in Poland, he completed the baptism of the Confession and joined the Polish Brothers ( Ecclesia minor ) in 1572 . At that time Schomann was also one of the advocates of a union between Polish Unitarians and Moravian Anabaptists, which, however, did not materialize despite several talks. A year after joining the Polish Brothers, he became a preacher in the Unitarian Church in Cracow . In 1574 Schomann anonymously published a first Unitarian catechism ( Catechesis et confession fidei or Schomann catechism for short ), which summarized the theological standpoints of the Polish Unitarians. The Schomann Catechism was widely used. In terms of structure, the catechism is constructed in a dialogical manner and thus follows the classic type of a question-and-answer catechism, a form that has existed since the Middle Ages and has been adopted by many reformers. Towards the end of the 16th century, Schomann's catechism of Fausto Sozzini and Peter Statorius the Elder was decided . J. to have it revised, which led to the creation of the Rakau Catechism . From 1586 to 1588 Schomann worked as a pastor in Lutosławice and between 1589 and 1591 finally in Chmielnik , where he died in 1591.

Schomann's importance for Unitarianism lies primarily in the writing of the Schomann Catechism as a forerunner of the Rakau Catechism . Like Marcin Czechowic and Gregor Pauli, he represented Anabaptist-Unitarian views theologically . Together with Pauli, he spoke out against the divine nature of Jesus Christ because he saw it as ditheistic . However, Schomann also did not join the nonadorants around Szymon Budny and Franz Davidis , who rejected any worship of Jesus and were particularly well represented in Lithuania and Transylvania .

Works

• Catechesis et confession fidei, coetus per Poloniam congregati, in nomine Jesu Christi, Domini nostri crucifixi & resuscitati , Krakow 1574
• Testamentum ultimae voluntatis (published in 1684 in the Bibliotheca antitrinitariorum by Christopher Sandius in Amsterdam)

Individual evidence

1. ^ Olaf Reese: Lutherische Metaphysik im Streit - Reports of Calov's anti-Socinian campaigns . Göttingen 2008, p. 110 .

literature

• Martin Schmeisser: Socinian Confessions: The Rakow Catechism of Valentin Schmalz (1608) and the so-called Soner Catechism . Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-05-005200-7 .
• Olaf Reese: Lutheran metaphysics in dispute. Reports of Calov's anti-Socinian campaigns , dissertation at the University of Göttingen 2008.