Philip Melanchthon (1497-1560) · CatalogPhilip MelanchthonPhilip Melanchthon (1497-1560) · CatalogGerman humanist and Luther's colleague, principal author of the Augsburg Confession.
Author
Philip Melanchthon
1497-1560 · German humanist and Luther's colleague, principal author of the Augsburg Confession
Philip Melanchthon (1497–1560) was a humanist scholar of Greek who joined the faculty at Wittenberg in 1518 and became Martin Luther's closest colleague. His Loci Communes (1521) was the first systematic presentation of Lutheran teaching. Because Luther was under the imperial ban and could not attend the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, Melanchthon drafted the confession presented there on behalf of the Lutheran princes and cities. Known for his conciliatory temperament, he spent much of his career seeking agreement with Catholics and with Reformed Protestants, which sometimes brought criticism from stricter Lutherans. He also reorganized schools and universities in Protestant Germany and was called the Teacher of Germany.
“Also they teach that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, or works, but are freely justified for Christ's sake, through faith”
1530 · Renaissance Early Modern · Religious Scripture
The Augsburg Confession is the founding statement of faith of the Lutheran churches. It was read aloud in German before Emperor Charles V at the Imperial Diet of Augsburg on 25 June 1530, on behalf of several German princes and two free cities that had accepted the Reformation.