Nicolaus Knutzen Teting

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Nicolaus Knutzen Teting (* 1593/94 in Husum ; † between 1636 and 1642) was a doctor and lay theologian.

Life

It is not documented who Teting's parents were. Due to the patronymic Knutzen, it can be assumed that his father was called Knut Teting. It is possibly identical to the "Knut Teting on the Neustadt", which the collection of some Husumischer Nachrichten from 1750 mentions for 1594. This name is also mentioned in the Husum document book from 1602. It is known of Teting's mother that she lived until at least 1624. He had a brother named Titus Knutzen († 1629), who worked as a deacon on Pellworm .

Teting's career is only partially known. In 1614, at the age of 21, he enrolled at the University of Leiden under the Latinized name "Nicolaus Titi" and studied medicine and chemistry. He then worked as a resident doctor in Flensburg . Here he married a woman of unknown name and acquired citizenship with the marriage. During this time he and Hartwig Lohmann studied the writings of Johannes Tauler , Johann Arndt and most likely Valentin Weigel .

At the beginning of 1622 the deacon of St. Mary's Church in Flensburg , Habacuc Meyer, preached against Valentin Weigel. Teting and Lohmann saw this as a personal insult. In order to justify themselves, they submitted a written creed to the provost Friedrich Dame . There had probably been doubts about their orthodoxy before. With their confession they gave rise to new doubts. The bailiff therefore called Teting and Lohmann a little later for a disputation on the Duburg .

Teting and Lohmann faced the conversation. Teting stated that Christ did not actually become man , but only apparently did so. Because of this particularly incriminated thesis, both left Flensburg a little later in the early summer of 1622. Teting moved to Hattstedt , Lohmann to the Husum office , where he obviously quickly found like-minded people.

In Husum, Teting met the wealthy widow Anna Ovena Hoyer . She quickly developed into Teting's loyal, influential follower. The doctor therefore moved in 1623 to their mansion Hoyerswort . During a religious conversation with the Eiderstedt provost Nicolaus Wedovius, Teting showed clear tendencies towards chiliasm . Since his other views were considered correct, the authorities did not intervene despite violent protests from Oldenswort pastors.

In 1624 Teting moved to Husum and got into ever greater conflicts with local clergy, especially the chief pastor Petrus Danckwerth. Duke Friedrich III. then banished Teting and Lohmann from the duchy in September 1624 . They moved to Schwabstedt and lived there only two months until Christian IV banished them from there. Teting then went to Hamburg , where he practiced as a doctor.

The Lübeck superintendent Nikolaus Hunnius resumed the old dispute with Teting in 1634. This tried to defend himself and thus triggered conflicts with Hamburg clergy. In 1635 or 1636 he had to leave the city for this reason. Since Anna Ovena Hoyer described Teting as "blessed" in 1642, it can be assumed that he died in an unknown location shortly after leaving Hamburg.

Theological views

Teting was shown to be directly or indirectly influenced by Caspar Schwenckfeld and Valetin Weigel in particular. Presumably because of his connections to the natural speculations of Paracelsus , he and his colleagues were nicknamed " Rosicrucians ". In contrast to Orthodox Lutheranism , he believed in particular in the “heavenly flesh of Christ” and his resurrection in the hearts of believers. He interpreted the Holy Scriptures in a spiritualistic way .

For polemical reasons, his opponents accused Teting of following Thomas Münzer and the Anabaptists . Corresponding theses cannot be found in his writings. He spoke out against worldly means such as oaths, war or interest payments and took action against a formally frozen Christianity. In his writings he almost always defended himself and tried to show that his views corresponded to the correct interpretation of the Bible. He mostly wrote only on questions of doctrine and did not shy away from his critics. In doing so, he was nevertheless able to disrupt the conventional social order.

Works

  • A short sermon From the Kingdom of God / Dedicated and offered herewith to All Brothers in Christ / for testimony / Your ... brother in Christ. NTH [S. l.] 1625
  • Retired Kurtze / but thorough / and with H. Schrifft and Lutheri, Philippi Melanthonis, Pomerani, Brentii and other Authentic Lutheran theologians wrote more well-protected responsibility / Nicolai Tetings / Auff Deß zu Lübeck / Hamburg and Lüneburg Predigampts without the least in the truck / under the book that went out Titul: Detailed report of the new prophets (who call themselves enlightened / learned of God and Theosophos) Religion: Everyone and everyone for information and knowledge of the truth ... [Sl] 1635

literature

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Teting, Nicolaus Knutzen
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Doctor and lay theologian
DATE OF BIRTH 1593 or 1594
PLACE OF BIRTH Husum
DATE OF DEATH between 1636 and 1642