Johannes Brenz facts for kids
Johann (Johannes) Brenz (born June 24, 1499 – died September 11, 1570) was an important German Lutheran theologian. He was a key leader in the Protestant Reformation in the Duchy of Württemberg.
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Becoming a Reformer
Johann Brenz was born in a town called Weil der Stadt, which is near Stuttgart. He went to school at Heidelberg. In 1518, he became a master and started teaching. He taught about the Gospel of Matthew, a book from the Bible. People liked his new ideas, but his lectures were stopped. This was because he supported Martin Luther, who started the Reformation. Brenz had met Luther in 1518.
In 1522, Brenz was almost put on trial for his beliefs. But he was asked to become a pastor in Schwäbisch Hall, so he moved there. In 1524, another reformer named Johann Isenmann joined him. Together, they started making changes.
They stopped celebrating some old church holidays. In 1524, a monastery was turned into a school. During the German Peasants' War, Brenz did not support the peasants' violence. But he asked for mercy for them and told the leaders to do their duty.
At Christmas, people started receiving the Lord's Supper in a new way. The next year, the first rules for the church and school were made. In 1528, Brenz wrote two catechisms (books of religious instruction) for young people. They were simple and warm, written in a way that children could understand.
Helping the New Church Movement
Brenz became more well-known when he wrote a book called Syngramma Suevicum in 1525. In this book, he argued that the body and blood of Christ are truly present in the Sacrament.
From then on, Brenz took part in many important meetings about religion.
- In 1529, he attended the Colloquy of Marburg.
- In 1530, he went to the Diet of Augsburg. There, he helped Melanchthon try to find common ground with the old church. But he refused to work with the followers of Zwingli.
- In 1532, he helped create church rules for Brandenburg and Nuremberg. He also helped the Reformation spread in other areas like Brandenburg-Ansbach and Heilbronn.
- In 1535, Ulrich, Duke of Württemberg asked him for advice on church rules and marriage.
- In 1537, he helped reform the University of Tübingen. He also pushed for the removal of images from churches.
Brenz returned to Hall in 1538. He continued to attend many conferences, including those in Hagenau (1540), Worms (1540), and Regensburg (1546). He was very dedicated to his work as a pastor. He gave many sermons and wrote valuable explanations of the Bible.
Facing Trouble with the Emperor
In 1543, new church rules for Hall were put in place. Brenz turned down offers to work in other cities like Leipzig and Strasbourg. He wanted to stay in Hall.
At first, Brenz did not think it was right to fight against the government. So, he was against Hall joining the Schmalkaldic League, which was a group of Protestant states. But his mind changed when the emperor became very hostile.
In 1538, Hall joined the League. After the League was defeated, Emperor Charles V came to Hall in 1546. He took Brenz's papers and sermons. Brenz had to flee, even in bitter cold, but he returned a few weeks later.
The emperor then introduced a new law called the Augsburg Interim. Brenz strongly opposed it, calling it "ruin." The emperor's chancellor demanded that Brenz be arrested. On his 49th birthday, June 24, 1548, Brenz received a warning note: "Flee, Brenz, quickly, more quickly, most quickly!"
He escaped and went to Duke Ulrich, who hid him in a castle. There, Brenz used a fake name and wrote about the Bible. The emperor was searching for him everywhere, so Ulrich sent him to Basel. In Basel, Brenz wrote more about the Bible.
Later, Duke Christoph called him to Montbéliard. Brenz learned that his wife had died. He wanted to go to his children in Swabia, but it was dangerous because the emperor was still looking for him. The duke hid him again in another castle for 18 months. Brenz used another fake name and continued to work for the church. He turned down offers to go to other places like Magdeburg and England.
In 1549, he went to Urach to meet with the duke and other church leaders. They planned to bring back evangelical church services. In 1550, he married his second wife, Catherine.
Important Work (1550–1553)
After Duke Ulrich died, Brenz was asked to write the Württemberg Confession for the Council of Trent. This was a statement of their beliefs. In 1552, Brenz and three other theologians went to Trent to defend their faith. The church leaders at the council were surprised, but they refused to be taught by the Protestants.
The emperor's Interim law was finally removed. Brenz, who had been a counselor to the duke, was made the provost of the Stuttgart Cathedral in 1554. He also became a ducal counselor for life. He worked closely with Duke Christoph to reorganize the church and schools in Württemberg.
The great church order of 1553–1559, which included the confessio Wirtembergica, was clear and fair. His book, Catechismus pia et utile explicatione illustratus (1551), became a very important teaching tool for many years. Brenz believed that ministers should preach and encourage people to repent. But he thought that excommunication (being removed from the church) should be decided by the whole church, not just one person. In 1553, Brenz moved to Neuburg to help organize the church there.
Later Years
Brenz was very interested in helping the Waldensians and French Protestants. He tried to help the French Protestants by sending theologians to advise their king, but these efforts were disappointing. He also cared deeply about Protestants in Bavaria and Austria. For the Austrian Protestants, the first Slavic books were printed in Urach.
His last work for the Reformation was writing to Duke William of Jülich and Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel in 1568–1569. He also continued to write explanations of the Psalms and other Bible books.
In 1569, Brenz became paralyzed, and his health failed. He died in Stuttgart and was buried under the pulpit of the cathedral. However, later, the Jesuits destroyed his grave.
Translated Works
- Where Faith Comes From, a sermon by Johannes Brenz.
- Godly magistrates and church order
- Homily on John 15:26-27, translated by Nathaniel J. Biebert (Red Brick Parsonage, 2014).
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See also
In Spanish: Juan Brenz para niños
