Martin Moller

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Martin Moller (born November 10, 1547 in Ließnitz, today Kropstädt near Wittenberg, † March 2, 1606 in Görlitz ) was a German mystic and hymn poet . He is considered a co-founder of evangelical edification literature .

Life

After attending the city school in Wittenberg from 1560 to 1566, Moller came to the newly founded grammar school in Görlitz in 1566, where he received an intensive humanistic and theological education based on the principles of Philipp Melanchthon from its first rector Petrus Vincentius and his colleague Laurentius Ludovicus .

Through the mediation of his teacher Ludovicus, he became a cantor and preacher in the Silesian Löwenberg in 1568 . In 1572 he received a pastorate in neighboring Kresselsdorf. With this first calling, he was automatically ordained in Wittenberg, as was customary at the time . Moller received the pastorate in Sprottau in 1575 and finally accepted an appointment as chief pastor at the Peter and Paul Church in Görlitz in 1600. The city council considered the lack of formal theology studies to be unnecessary, since it had learned "the basics of teaching and studies" years ago here at the Görlitz grammar school.

But in the first year of his activity in Görlitz he was drawn into the debate about Silesian crypto- calvinism. Salomon Gesner in particular attacked him hard. In his warning to the ... commoners in Silesia that they want to watch out for devastating Calvinist ... errors ... (1601), Gesner attacked Moller's major work Praxis Evangeliorum, which has just been published . Moller replied the following year with his Apologia (1602). In fact, Moller saw himself committed to Philippism and refused the Lutheran-denominational narrowing of Reformation theology that began in the second half of the 16th century .

Moller went blind just a few years after taking office at the Peter and Paul Church and died at the age of 59 in Görlitz. Among his community children was the young Jacob Böhme , who later came into conflict with Moller's successor in office, Gregor Richter (1560-1624).

Rating

Moller's most important achievement was the co-founding of an Evangelical Lutheran edification literature . It was above all important to him to make the Reformation doctrinal statements such as the justification by faith in prayer and meditation perceptible for personal, everyday piety . For this he made use of the rich tradition of pre-Reformation mysticism. Through his writings, Bernhard von Clairvaux and Johannes Tauler , for example, also became accessible to evangelical spirituality and in turn influenced future edification literature and hymn poetry. Moller also mentioned Arnulf von Löwen's meditation Salve, known as Oratio Rhythmica , mundi salutare about the limbs of the dead Jesus, which Dieterich Buxtehude later set to music in his cantata cycle Membra Jesu Nostri .

Moller made several hymns , some of which can be found in the Protestant hymnal today, including: Heilger mind, you comforter my ( EC 128) Moller German paraphrase of Stephen Langton Pentecostal Sequence Veni Sancte Spritus et Emitte and Take from us Mr. you faithful God ( EG 146). The song Oh God, like many a heartache , is probably wrongly ascribed to him .

In his second cycle of cantatas, Johann Sebastian Bach wrote a chorale cantata about both songs, 1724 Take from us, Lord, you loyal God (BWV 101) and 1725 Oh God, how many a heartache, BWV 3 . In 1727 he began another cantata Oh God, how many Herzeleid, BWV 58 , with the first stanza of the chorale.

Works (selection)

The directory of the 16th century prints published in the German-speaking area (VD 16) lists a total of 30 entries on Martin Moller, including:

  • MEDITATIONES sanctorum Patrum.Beautiful, devout prayer, consoling sayings, godly thoughts ... From the holy old fathers: Augustino, Bernhardo, Taulero, and others, diligently ... carried together and translated into German. Görlitz: 1st part 1584, 2nd part 1591 (and many other editions)
  • Manuale De prepairatione ad mortem. A holy and very useful observation of how a Christian person should learn from God's Word to live Christian life and die happily. Goerlitz 1593

Other titles published after 1600 (see VD 17 ):

  • Practice Evangeliorum. A single explanation and useful consideration of the Gospels, as it is ordained to preach annually on all Sundays and the first feast: For all pious hearts, who in the present last days are secluded from the sinful world and who gladly await the appearance of our Lord Jesus . ( Postille in four volumes). Goerlitz 1601
  • Kurtze apologia and responsibility for quite a few teaching and consolation pieces, for example by Doctore Salomone Gesnero, Professore zu Wittenberg, in the new outgoing book, Praxis Evangeliorum addressed, held hostile and suspicious . Goerlitz 1602
  • Thesaurus precationum: Devout prayer, and comforting sighs, from the regular Sundays and Feast Gospels, in which the foremost teachings and consolation, as the text brings with it, drawn to the right custom, and next to Our Holy Father and Psalms, can daily with great benefit to be needed; With a neat register . Görlitz 1603

Remembrance day

March 1st in the Evangelical Name Calendar .

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ This could have been written by Konrad Hojer . In any case, “the song: Oh God, how many a heartache I encounter at this time ... is ascribed to him with greater right than Martin Moller, in whose Meditationes of 1587 it was first printed, because he placed it with the songs that he expressly referred to as made by others. ”- lu:  Hojer, Konrad . In: Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie (ADB). Volume 12, Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig 1880, pp. 709 f.
  2. ^ Entry on Martin Moller in the ecumenical dictionary of saints
personal data
SURNAME Moller, Martin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Möller, Martin
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German mystic and hymn poet
DATE OF BIRTH November 10, 1547
PLACE OF BIRTH Kropstädt near Wittenberg
DATE OF DEATH March 2, 1606
Place of death Goerlitz