Andreas Gerhard Hyperius (1511–1564), real name Andreas Gheeraerdts, was a Protestant theologian and

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

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, born at

Ypres Ypres ( , ; nl, Ieper ; vls, Yper; german: Ypern ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality c ...

, which is signified by the name 'Hyperius'.

Life

He had a humanist education, and studied at Tournai and Paris. He was resident in England from 1536 to 1540, and in 1542 was appointed professor of theology at

Marburg Marburg ( or ) is a university town in the German federal state (''Bundesland'') of Hesse, capital of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district (''Landkreis''). The town area spreads along the valley of the river Lahn and has a population of approxima ...

Work

Hyperius's theology lies between

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

and Reformed beliefs. Influenced by Martin Bucer, he was not a strict Lutheran.

Jean Calvin John Calvin (; frm, Jehan Cauvin; french: link=no, Jean Calvin ; 10 July 150927 May 1564) was a French theologian, pastor and reformer in Geneva during the Protestant Reformation. He was a principal figure in the development of the system ...

endorsed his erudition. His work ''De formandis concionibus sacris'' (On the Making of Sacred Discourses) was the first Protestant text solely devoted to systematic homiletics, that is, to preaching considered as a branch of rhetoric. The ''Methodus theologiae'' is a selection from, and method for reading, the Church Fathers. In his overall approach, Hyperius sought a firm basis in the Bible, rigidly, and held that before practical theology can be put in force, it must be made a part of systematic theological study, and must not be taught fragmentarily. Demanding an immense amount of preliminary reading on the part of the student, covering all practical theology except missions, he held that such reading would involve preparation for the practical work of the ministry. All must be squared with the Bible, or, where the Bible did not contain specific data, with the commandments of love for God and one's neighbor. In addition, he urged the preparation of a work on church government, including the data of the New Testament, relevant portions of church history, excerpts from the councils, papal decrees, Church Fathers, and works on dogmatics, liturgics, and related materials. His English translator, John Ludham (vicar of

Wethersfield, Essex Wethersfield is a village and a civil parish on the B1053 road in the Braintree district of Essex, England. It is near the River Pant. Wethersfield has a school, a social club, a fire station and one places of worship. Nearby settlements include ...

, 1570-1613), published the ''De formandis'' as ''The Practise of Preaching, otherwise called the Pathway to the Pulpet'' (London 1577). Ludham went on to translate Hyperius's posthumously published ''De Sacrae Scripturae lectione ac meditatione quotidiana'' (Basle, 1569) as ''The Course of Christianity: or, as touching the dayly reading and meditation of the holy Scriptures'' (London 1579): he then turned to the homilies of Rudolf Gwalther on the prophet

Joel Joel or Yoel is a name meaning "Yahweh Is God" and may refer to: * Joel (given name), origin of the name including a list of people with the first name. * Joel (surname), a surname * Joel (footballer, born 1904), Joel de Oliveira Monteiro, Brazili ...

(London 1582) before returning to Hyperius for ''A Speciall Treatise of Gods Providence'' (c. 1588), which included an exposition upon Psalm 107. To this was added an appendix of the Cambridge sermons and disquisitions of

Peter Baro Peter Baro (1534–1599) was a French Huguenot minister, ordained by John Calvin, but later in England a critic of some Calvinist theological positions. His views in relation to the Lambeth Articles cost him his position as Lady Margaret's Profess ...

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Dietrich Bonhoeffer (; 4 February 1906 – 9 April 1945) was a German Lutheran pastor, theologian and anti-Nazi dissident who was a key founding member of the Confessing Church. His writings on Christianity's role in the secular world have ...

emphasised the role Hyperius had played in early Protestantism.David L. Larsen, ''The Company of the Preachers: A History of Biblical Preaching from the Old Testament to the Modern Era: Volume 2'' (1998), p. 803.

Works

*''De formandis concionibus sacris'' (1553, enlarged 1562) *''De theologo, seu de ratione studii theologici, libri IIII'' (1556) *''Elementa christianae religionis'' (1563) *''Methodi theologiae, sive praecipuorum christianae religionis locorum conmunium, libri tres'' (1568). *''De Sacrae Scripturae lectione ac meditatione quotidiana'' (1569).

Notes

External links

* . * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hyperius, Andreas 1511 births 1564 deaths People of the Habsburg Netherlands 16th-century Calvinist and Reformed theologians People from Ypres