Johann Völkel

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Johann Völkel (Latinized: Volcelius ; * around 1565 in Grimma , † 1618 in Raków ) was a German theologian and leading exponent of Polish Unitarianism .

life and work

Völkel was about 1565 in Saxony Grimma born. An electoral scholarship enabled him from 1578 to study Lutheran theology in Wittenberg . After completing his studies, he joined the Unitarian Polish Brethren (Ecclesia Minor) and was baptized as an adult at the Synod of Chmielnik. In the synodal acts he was also referred to as Magister Wittenbergensis because of his place of study . First he was the principal of the school in Wengrow. Later he cared for Unitarian parishes in Philippow, Lithuania, and from 1611/1612 in Śmigiel (Schmiegel), Poland . Völkel was also in close contact with the Unitarian circle around Ernst Soner at the University of Altdorf . His code name there was Popilium or Populeum . Although he enjoyed a good reputation in his parishes and was seen as one of the leading representatives of the Polish Brethren, he was accused of insubordination and briefly removed from his parish office.

Völkel dealt literarily in several pamphlets with the Lithuanian Jesuit Martinus Smiglecius . He was also one of several Unitarians who corresponded with the Dutch Reformed philosopher and theologian Hugo Grotius . Völkel's main text De vera religione gave an overview of the theology of early modern socinianism . In 1604 and 1605 he was one of the co-authors of the Rakau Catechism , together with Valentin Schmalz and Hieronymus Moskorzowski , which subsequently became one of the most famous Unitarian confessional documents and helped to spread the Unitarian-Socinian ideas in Western Europe. Völkel died in Raków, Poland, in 1618.

literature

  • Martin Schmeisser (Ed.): Socinian confessional writings: The Rakow catechism of Valentin Schmalz (1608) and the so-called Soner catechism. Berlin 2012.
  • Olaf Reese: Lutheran metaphysics in dispute. Reports of Calov's anti-Socinian campaigns. Dissertation, Göttingen 2008.
  • Paul Tschackert :  Völkel, Johann . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 40, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1896, p. 232 f.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Martin Schmeisser (ed.): Socinian confessional writings: The Rakow catechism of Valentin Schmalz (1608) and the so-called Soner catechism . Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-05-005200-7 , p. 29 .
  2. ↑ Martin Schmeisser (ed.): Socinian confessional writings: The Rakow catechism of Valentin Schmalz (1608) and the so-called Soner catechism . Akademie-Verlag, Berlin 2012, ISBN 978-3-05-005200-7 , p. 30 .
personal data
SURNAME Völkel, Johann
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Volcelius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German theologian and representative of Polish Unitarianism
DATE OF BIRTH around 1565
PLACE OF BIRTH Grimma
DATE OF DEATH 1618
Place of death Raków