Erhard Schnepf (1 November 1495,

Heilbronn Heilbronn () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, surrounded by Heilbronn (district), Heilbronn District. With over 126,000 residents, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. From the late Mid ...

– 1 November 1558,

Jena Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...

; also ''Erhard Schnepff'') was a German

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

Theologian, Pastor, and early

Protestant reformer Protestant Reformers were those theologians whose careers, works and actions brought about the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century. In the context of the Reformation, Martin Luther was the first reformer (sharing his views publicly in 15 ...

. He was among the earliest followers of Luther convinced to his views at the 1518

Heidelberg Disputation The Heidelberg Disputation was held at the lecture hall of the Augustinian order on April 26, 1518. It was here that Martin Luther, as a delegate for his order, began to have occasion to articulate his views. In the defense of his theses, which c ...

Life

Schnepf was born into a prominent Heilbronn Family. He began his studies at the University of Erfurt in 1509 before moving to the

University of Heidelberg } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, ...

in 1511, where he took his Master's degree in 1513. He switched from legal to theological studies. Schnepf was one of the young masters who encountered

Martin Luther Martin Luther (; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, theologian, author, hymnwriter, and professor, and Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. He is the seminal figure of the Reformation, Protestant Refo ...

at the famous

. Schnepf soon became a committed follower of Luther. He took over the preacher's office in the Württemberg territory of Weinsberg, as the successor of

Johannes Oecolampadius Johannes Oecolampadius (also ''Œcolampadius'', in German also Oekolampadius, Oekolampad; 1482 – 24 November 1531) was a German Protestant reformer in the Calvinist tradition from the Electoral Palatinate. He was the leader of the Protestant f ...

, and preached the evangelical message there.Gerhard Kiesow (1997) ''Von Rittern und Predigern. Die Herren von Gemmingen und die Reformation im Kraichgau''. verlag regionalkultur, Ubstadt-Weiher. pp. 51ff. When the

duchy of Württemberg The Duchy of Württemberg (german: Herzogtum Württemberg) was a duchy located in the south-western part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was a member of the Holy Roman Empire from 1495 to 1806. The dukedom's long survival for over three centuries ...

came under direct Habsburg control, Schnepf was driven from his post and took refuge with the more Protestant-minded Dietrich von Gemmingen. He worked first in Neckarmühlbach (near Castle Guttenberg) in the Kraichgau, and from 1523 in the imperial city of

Bad Wimpfen Bad Wimpfen () is a historic spa town in the district of Heilbronn in the Baden-Württemberg region of southern Germany. It lies north of the city of Heilbronn, on the river Neckar. Geography Bad Wimpfen is located on the west bank of the River ...

, where he married the mayor's daughter Margaretha Wurzelmann. Upon the request of Count Philip III of Nassau-Weilburg, he introduced the Reformation in 1525/26 at Weilburg. Landgrave Philip I the Magnanimous of Hesse invited him to become theology professor at his newly founded University of Marburg. Schnepf only reluctantly accepted the offer and finally took up the post on 19 August 1528. He was rector of the University in 1532 and 1534 and served as Philip's advisor at the imperial diets of

Speyer Speyer (, older spelling ''Speier'', French: ''Spire,'' historical English: ''Spires''; pfl, Schbaija) is a city in Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany with approximately 50,000 inhabitants. Located on the left bank of the river Rhine, Speyer li ...

(1529) and

Augsburg Augsburg (; bar , Augschburg , links=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swabian_German , label=Swabian German, , ) is a city in Swabia, Bavaria, Germany, around west of Bavarian capital Munich. It is a university town and regional seat of the ' ...

(1530). In 1532 he turned down the offer to become the second pastor of Heilbronn after Johann Lachmann. After the restoration of Duke Ulrich, Schnepf returned to Württemberg at his request to take part in the introduction of the Reformation there in 1534 working in concert with Ambrosius Blarer. Schnepf was named court preacher in Stuttgart and general superintendent of all of the Württemberg Protestant Church in 1535. He resigned this position in 1544 to become theology professor at the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-Wü ...

simultaneously maintaining preaching duties. His resistance to the Augsburg Interim led to his dismissal from Württemberg service by Duke Ulrich in 1548. He received chair of Hebrew at the newly founded

University of Jena The University of Jena, officially the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (german: Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, abbreviated FSU, shortened form ''Uni Jena''), is a public research university located in Jena, Thuringia, Germany. The un ...

and also became pastor and superintendent in

, where he died in 1558.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Schnepf, Erhard 1495 births 1558 deaths German Protestant Reformers 16th-century German Lutheran clergy 15th-century Lutheran theologians 16th-century Lutheran theologians

Life

References

Further reading

External links