Joachim Stegmann

Joachim Stegmann (* 1595 in Potsdam ; † 1633 in Klausenburg ) was a German mathematician and Unitarian theologian .

Live and act

Stegmann came from Potsdam and initially worked as an Evangelical Lutheran pastor in Fahrland in Brandenburg , but began to speak out openly for anti-Trinitarian and sociocratic positions, which led to his dismissal in 1626. He then found a job as a pastor at the Reformed St. Peter's Church in Gdansk , but was also deposed here because of his anti-Trinitarian attitudes, whereupon he was able to take over the post of rector of the Rakau Academy of Polish Brothers in Rakau . He kept this position until 1631, when he moved to Cluj- Napoca in Transylvania to work as pastor for the Hungarian part of the Unitarian community there. Stegemann died in Klausenburg just two years after his arrival. His son, Joachim Stegmann Jr., later inherited him as a Unitarian preacher in Cluj-Napoca.

Stegmann wrote several theological and religious-philosophical writings and dealt with both Catholic and traditionally Protestant positions. His main writings include the pamphlets against the Lutheran preacher Johann Botsack in Danzig. He argued that questions of faith must be answered in accordance with logic and reason. In 1630, Stegmann translated the Rakau New Testament into German together with Johannes Crellius . In addition to his theological treatises, he also wrote a textbook for learning mathematics and geometry .

Works (selection)

• Radius Mathematicus, Or Explanations and Use of the Mathematical Marching Staff, 1626
• Brevis disquisitio an et quo mado vulgo dicti Evangelici Pontificios, ac nominatim Val. Magni de Acatholicorum credendi regula judicium solide atque evidenter refutare queant., Eleutheropoli (Amsterdam) 1633 (English translation London 1653)
• Marks of the false teachers / that one can lose weight / who are / who deny the Lord Jesus, 1637
• De usu rationis in rebus sacris

literature

• Olaf Reese: Lutheran metaphysics in dispute. Reports of Calov's anti-Socinian campaigns. Dissertation, Göttingen 2008.
• Real Encyclopedia for Protestant Theology and Church , Volume 14, Page 382
• Stegmann, Joachim, a Socinian. In: Johann Heinrich Zedler : Large complete universal lexicon of all sciences and arts . Volume 39, Leipzig 1744, column 1469.