Balthasar Hubmaier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Balthasar Hubmaier
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Balthasar Hubmaier on his only known portrait
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| Born | 1480 Friedberg
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| Died | 10 March 1528 |
| Occupation | Theologian |
| Theological work | |
| Era | Protestant Reformation |
| Tradition or movement | Anabaptism |
Balthasar Hubmaier (born around 1480 – died 10 March 1528) was an important German Anabaptist leader. He was one of the most well-known and respected Anabaptist thinkers during the Protestant Reformation.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Balthasar Hubmaier was born in Friedberg, Bavaria, in 1480. We don't know much about his parents.
He went to Latin School in Augsburg. Then, on May 1, 1503, he started studying at the University of Freiburg. He had to leave for a while to teach in Schaffhausen, Switzerland, because he didn't have enough money. He returned to Freiburg in 1507. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1511.
In 1512, he received a doctor's degree from the University of Ingolstadt. He even became the university's vice-rector by 1515. Hubmaier was known as a great speaker. In 1516, he left the University of Ingolstadt to become a pastor in the Roman Catholic church in Regensburg. Later, in 1521, Hubmaier moved to Waldshut-Tiengen. In 1524, he married Elizabeth Hügline.
Becoming a Reformer and Anabaptist
In 1522, Hubmaier met important thinkers like Heinrich Glarean and Erasmus in Basel. In March 1523, he met Huldrych Zwingli in Zürich. He even took part in a debate there in October of that year.
During the debate, Hubmaier said that the Bible should be the only guide for faith. He wrote, "In all disputes concerning faith and religion, the scriptures alone, proceeding from the mouth of God, ought to be our level and rule." It was around this time that Hubmaier decided to stop supporting infant baptism. He felt he couldn't find support for it in the Bible.
In 1525, an Anabaptist named Wilhelm Reublin came to Waldshut. He had been forced to leave Zürich. In April, Reublin baptized Hubmaier and sixty other people. This was a big step for Hubmaier.
In Waldshut, Hubmaier's Anabaptist ideas became more popular. But this made Prince Ferdinand unhappy. This disagreement would later lead to Hubmaier's death. Hubmaier first went to Schaffhausen to find safety from the Prince.
In December 1525, Hubmaier had to flee again to Zürich to escape the Austrian army. He hoped to find safety there. But instead, Zwingli had him arrested. While in prison, Hubmaier asked for a debate about baptism. This was allowed.
During the debate, Hubmaier quoted Zwingli's own words. Zwingli had once said that children should not be baptized until they were taught. Zwingli replied that he had been misunderstood. Hubmaier pointed out that Zwingli seemed to be changing his mind.
Even with Hubmaier's arguments, the council sided with Zwingli. Hubmaier was confused and agreed to take back his words. But the next day, in front of everyone, he said he couldn't and wouldn't take back what he believed. He was put back in prison and tortured. Under torture, he finally did take back his words.
He was then allowed to leave Switzerland. He traveled to Nikolsburg in Moravia. This moment of weakness bothered him a lot. In 1526, he wrote a short apology, saying: "I may err—I am a man—but a heretic I cannot be… O God, pardon me my weakness."
Prison and Death
In Nikolsburg, Hubmaier's preaching quickly convinced many people to become Anabaptists. However, Prince Ferdinand, who had been Hubmaier's enemy in Waldshut, gained control of Bohemia. This meant Hubmaier was once again under Ferdinand's power.
Hubmaier and his wife were arrested by Austrian officials. They were taken to Vienna. He was held in the castle Gratzenstein (now called "Burg Kreuzenstein") until March 1528.
He wrote, "I may err – I am a man, but a heretic I cannot be, because I ask constantly for instruction in the word of God." He was tortured and found guilty of heresy. On March 10, 1528, he was taken to the public square. He was executed by burning. His wife encouraged him to stay strong. A monument to "Dr. Balthasar Hubmaier" was later put up in Vienna.
Three days after his execution, his wife was drowned in the River Danube. A stone was tied around her neck.
Hubmaier's Beliefs
On the Trinity
Hubmaier believed in the Trinity (God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). He was more traditional than some other Anabaptists.
On Government and the Sword
Hubmaier was a Schwertler (meaning "of-the-sword") Anabaptist. This means he believed that government was created by God. He thought Christians should support the government and pay taxes.
He also believed that the government had a duty to protect good, innocent, and helpless people. He wrote about this in his work, On the Sword. He thought Christians should even fight if the government told them to for a good reason. This idea of Christians using a sword was a key difference between Schwertler Anabaptists and Stäbler Anabaptists, who believed in total pacifism (not fighting at all).
On Baptism
Much of Hubmaier's work focused on baptism. This was a big topic that separated Anabaptists from other Reformation groups. Hubmaier did not believe in infant baptism. He thought it was not supported by the Bible. Instead, he believed in "believer's baptism." This means that baptism is for people who have chosen to follow the gospel.
He also saw baptism as a symbol. It showed that someone was joining the community of faith and was responsible to it. We don't know exactly how Hubmaier baptized people. It seems he continued to use "affusion" (pouring water). Immersion (being fully dipped in water) became more common among Anabaptists later.
On the Mother of Jesus
Even though he left the Catholic Church, Hubmaier still believed that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was always a virgin. He also believed she was the theotokos ("mother of God"). He wrote about these beliefs. He said that Mary was the mother of Jesus, who was God in human form. However, Hubmaier did not believe that Mary was a co-redeemer or without sin. He believed only Jesus was without sin.
On Using Common Languages
Hubmaier had a university education, so he knew Latin. At that time, all official church messages were in Latin. But Hubmaier chose to write and speak in German. He wanted common people to understand him. He believed it was better for people to understand a single Bible verse in their own language than to sing whole psalms in a language they didn't know.
On the Church Fathers
Hubmaier studied the writings of early Christian leaders, known as the Church Fathers. He agreed with their ideas on baptism and free will. He saw them as part of the true Christian church. He was inspired by the idea of going "back to the sources" (ad fontes). He wanted to study the original writings of the Church Fathers. His works, Old and New Teachers on Believers Baptism (1526), show his deep study of their ideas on baptism.
Works
- Eighteen Articles (1524)
- Heretics and Those Who Burn Them (1524)
- The Open Appeal of Balthasar of Friedberg to all Christian Believers (1525)
- The Christian Baptism of Believers (1525)
- Old and New Teachers on Believers Baptism (1526)
- Twelve Articles of Christian Belief (1526)
- On the Sword (1527)
- On Fraternal Admonition (1527)
All of his writings had the motto Die warheit ist untödlich. This means "Truth is Immortal."
See also
