Philip Melanchthon

Life

Melanchthon was born on February 16, 1497, in Bretten, in what is now southwestern Germany. His father, Georg Schwartzerdt, was a renowned armorer. The name "Melanchthon" is generally understood to be a Greek rendering of the German surname Schwartzerdt, meaning "black earth." As a child he lived in Pforzheim with his maternal grandmother, a sister of the celebrated humanist Johannes Reuchlin. Reuchlin guided his studies and profoundly shaped his thinking. After studying at the University of Heidelberg and the University of Tübingen, Melanchthon became professor of Greek at the University of Wittenberg on Reuchlin's recommendation. There he met Martin Luther, with whom he worked for the rest of his life. He died in Wittenberg on April 19, 1560.

Ministry and Achievements

• Systematizing theology: Melanchthon undertook the task of organizing Luther's theology into a coherent system. His Loci Communes (Commonplaces of Theology), first published in 1521 and revised in several subsequent editions, became widely used as a foundational textbook of Protestant theology.
• The Augsburg Confession: When Emperor Charles V convened the Imperial Diet at Augsburg in 1530, the confession Melanchthon had written was read before the Diet on June 25. Luther, already excommunicated, could not attend. The confession consists of twenty-eight articles and was composed in both German and Latin. Although many passages were worded mildly to reduce conflict with the Roman Catholic side, it firmly upheld the doctrine of justification by faith. The document became the foundational confession of the Lutheran Church. That same year Melanchthon also wrote its Apology in response to the Catholic rebuttal.
• Bible translation and education: Melanchthon assisted Luther with his German translation of the Bible. By founding and reforming a number of universities, he laid the groundwork for German education and came to be called the "Teacher of Germany" (Praeceptor Germaniae).

Assessment

Melanchthon is regarded, together with Luther and John Calvin, as one of the architects of Protestantism. His conciliatory disposition, however, provoked considerable controversy even within his own camp.

• Changes in his understanding of the Lord's Supper: In 1540 Melanchthon published a revised edition of the Augsburg Confession (the Variata). The most significant change concerned the article on the real presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper (Article 10). Calvin also signed this revised edition. For this reason, many Lutheran churches declare that they adhere to the "Unaltered Augsburg Confession." This issue is connected with the Eucharistic controversies.
• The Adiaphorist Controversy: After the Protestant forces were defeated in war in 1547, the Leipzig Interim was drawn up in 1548. In these negotiations Melanchthon accepted certain Catholic ceremonies, regarding them as matters indifferent to the essence of the faith (adiaphora). Strict Lutherans led by Matthias Flacius sharply criticized this as a retreat from the gospel. The controversy led to a split within Lutheranism between his followers, the "Philippists," and the strict Lutherans. The Formula of Concord of 1577 later sought to resolve these questions.

Supporters view Melanchthon as a theologian who labored for the unity and peace of the church, while critics regard him as a figure who conceded too much at decisive moments.