Johann Nikolauss Weislinger (1691 – 29 August 1755) was a

polemic Polemic () is contentious rhetoric intended to support a specific position by forthright claims and to undermine the opposing position. The practice of such argumentation is called ''polemics'', which are seen in arguments on controversial topics ...

al writer.

Life

He was born at

Püttlingen Püttlingen () is a town in Saarland, Germany, 10 km northwest of Saarbrücken. Geography The town lies in the Köller Valley, approximately 20 km to the northwest of Saarbrücken and 5 km north of Völklingen. Going in a clockwis ...

German Lorraine The region of German Lorraine (german: Deutsch-Lothringen or ''Deutschlothringen'') was the German-speaking part of Lorraine, now in France, that existed for centuries until into the 20th century. The name is also used more specifically in to ref ...

. After attending the

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

high-school at

Strasbourg Strasbourg (, , ; german: Straßburg ; gsw, label=Bas Rhin Alsatian, Strossburi , gsw, label=Haut Rhin Alsatian, Strossburig ) is the prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est region of eastern France and the official seat of the Eu ...

, he became a private tutor in 1711. From 1713 he studied

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. Some ...

at 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, ...

, then took up theology and prepared for ordination as priest under the direction of the Jesuits at Strasburg. Soon after ordination he was appointed

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one or m ...

priest at Waldulm (1726), and in 1730 at Kappelrodeck, but in 1750, on account of severe

illness A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that ar ...

, he was obliged to resign his position. He died at Kappelrodeck in Baden.

Works

He was a prolific controversialist, widely read in the writings of his opponents. He was said to have had a keen mind and was quick at repartee in his polemical treatises. His language is said to have been often coarse and rough: he sought "in fine modes of speech from Luther's rhetoric", according to his own statement, to outdo the

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

controversialists. The most famous of his writings is "Friss Vogel oder stirb!", which he composed when a student of theology; it appeared at Strasburg, 1723, and was often reprinted. Other polemical writings are: *"Friß Vogel oder stirb!" (Straßburg 1717) *"Huttenus delarvatus" (Constance and Augsburg, 1730) *"Hochst billig und grundliche Antwort auf die unbillig und grundlose Klagen" (Augsburg, 1733) *"Auserlesene Merkwurdigkeiten von alten und neuen theologischen Marktschreiern" (Strasburg, 1738) *"Schutz- Schrift des scharf angeklagten, doch aber ganz unschuldig befundenen Luthertums" (Strasburg, 1840-). *He issued a new edition of Kaufmann's "Katholisch ist gut sterben" (Strasburg, 1744).

References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Weislinger, Johann Nikolauss 1691 births 1755 deaths 18th-century German Roman Catholic priests German non-fiction writers People from Püttlingen Heidelberg University alumni German male non-fiction writers