Friedrich Spanheim facts for kids

Woodcut of Friedrich Spanheim

Friedrich Spanheim the Elder was an important professor who taught about religion. He was born on January 1, 1600, in Amberg and passed away on May 14, 1649, in Leiden. He taught at the famous University of Leiden and was known for his strong beliefs in Calvinism, a branch of Protestant Christianity.

Friedrich Spanheim's Early Life and Studies

Friedrich Spanheim began his studies in 1614 at the University of Heidelberg. There, he focused on subjects like philology, which is the study of language, and philosophy, which explores big questions about life and knowledge.

In 1619, he moved to Geneva to study theology. Theology is the study of religious faith and practice.

Becoming a Professor

After his studies, in 1621, Friedrich Spanheim worked as a private teacher for a few years. He traveled to places like Geneva, Paris, and England.

He returned to Geneva in 1626 and became a professor of philosophy. Later, in 1631, he joined the theology department. He even served as the head of the academy, called a rector, from 1633 to 1637.

Moving to Leiden and His Beliefs

In 1642, Spanheim moved to Leiden in the Netherlands. He became a theology professor at the University of Leiden. Here, he became a strong supporter of the Calvinistic idea of predestination. This idea suggests that God has already decided who will be saved. He often debated against other religious ideas, like Amyraldism.

Friedrich Spanheim's Writings and Works

Friedrich Spanheim wrote many books and papers during his life. Some of his early works were about history.

• Le Soldat suedois (1633) was a book about the Thirty Years' War, a major conflict in Europe.
• He also wrote Le Mercure suisse (1634) and a historical account of a person named Christofle Vicomte de Dohna (1639).

Important Religious Books

His most important books on theology include:

• Dubia evangelica (3 volumes, 1631-1639)
• Disputatio de gratia universali (3 volumes, 1644-1648)
• Epistola ad Buchananum super controversiis...in ecclesiis Anglicanis (1645)

Debates Against Anabaptists

Spanheim also wrote against a group called the Anabaptists. These were Christians who believed that only adults should be baptized, not babies. His writings against them include:

• Variae disputationes anti-Anabaptisticae (1643)
• Diatribe historica de origine, progressu, sectis et nominibus anabaptistarum (1645). This book was even translated into English as Englands Warning by Germanies Woe in 1646.