Georg Schomann
Encyclopedia
Georg Schomann (Racibórz
1530 - Chmielnik
1591) was a Socinian theologian.
In his youth, was distinguished by a deep Catholic religiosity. In the years 1552-1554 he studied at the Krakow Academy and then at Wittenberg
, where he was Lutheran. He soon converted to Calvinism, and moved to Pińczów
, where from 1558-1561 he taught at the local school and was a Protestant minister in churches in Pińczów and Książ
. He was one of the authors of the Polish Brest Bible
(1563). In Pińczów he funded and founded a library, mainly the work of the Swiss reformers, for the sum of 40 ducats. Here, too, he married.
His interest in anabaptist
doctrine, led him in 1569 to travel to Hutterite
communities, and he was baptized in 1572 among the Polish Brethren
and in 1573 started to operate as an Arian
preacher in Krakow, then Lutosławice 1586-1588, and finally Chmielnik
1589-1591.
Schomann presented radical religious and social views in polemical writings, and in many disputes, diets and synods, including a famous debate with the Jesuit Piotr Skarga
by invitation at the house of salt mine owner Prosper Prowana in Krakow. The debate played host to the leading Italian Antitrinitarian exiles, including Giorgio Biandrata
, Bernardino Ochino
, Giovanni Alciato and Giovanni Gentile
. Schomann debated also with Faustus Socinus.
Schomann drew up the first Socinian catechism (1574) of the Polish Brethren
. It was followed by that of Faustus Socinus himself.
Like another Polish Brethren writer Andrzej Wiszowaty
he was cited by Voltaire
Racibórz
Racibórz is a town in southern Poland with 60,218 inhabitants situated in the Silesian Voivodeship , previously in Katowice Voivodeship...
1530 - Chmielnik
Chmielnik
Chmielnik is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland. It has a population of 4,005 . Town's name is derived from hop .- History :...
1591) was a Socinian theologian.
In his youth, was distinguished by a deep Catholic religiosity. In the years 1552-1554 he studied at the Krakow Academy and then at Wittenberg
Wittenberg
Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
, where he was Lutheran. He soon converted to Calvinism, and moved to Pińczów
Pinczów
Pińczów is a town in Poland, in Świętokrzyskie Voivodship, about 40 km south of Kielce. It is the capital of Pińczów County. Population is 12,304 .-History:...
, where from 1558-1561 he taught at the local school and was a Protestant minister in churches in Pińczów and Książ
Ksiaz
Książ is a castle in Silesia, Poland near the town of Wałbrzych. It was built in 1288-1292 under Bolko I the Strict. It lies within a protected area called Książ Landscape Park.- History :...
. He was one of the authors of the Polish Brest Bible
Brest Bible
The Brest Bible was the first comprehensive Polish language Protestant Bible translation, published in 1563 in Brest and dedicated to King Sigismund II Augustus....
(1563). In Pińczów he funded and founded a library, mainly the work of the Swiss reformers, for the sum of 40 ducats. Here, too, he married.
His interest in anabaptist
Anabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
doctrine, led him in 1569 to travel to Hutterite
Hutterite
Hutterites are a communal branch of Anabaptists who, like the Amish and Mennonites, trace their roots to the Radical Reformation of the 16th century. Since the death of their founder Jakob Hutter in 1536, the beliefs of the Hutterites, especially living in a community of goods and absolute...
communities, and he was baptized in 1572 among the Polish Brethren
Polish Brethren
The Polish Brethren were members of the Minor Reformed Church of Poland, a Nontrinitarian Protestant church that existed in Poland from 1565 to 1658...
and in 1573 started to operate as an Arian
Arianism
Arianism is the theological teaching attributed to Arius , a Christian presbyter from Alexandria, Egypt, concerning the relationship of the entities of the Trinity and the precise nature of the Son of God as being a subordinate entity to God the Father...
preacher in Krakow, then Lutosławice 1586-1588, and finally Chmielnik
Chmielnik
Chmielnik is a town in Kielce County, Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship, Poland. It has a population of 4,005 . Town's name is derived from hop .- History :...
1589-1591.
Schomann presented radical religious and social views in polemical writings, and in many disputes, diets and synods, including a famous debate with the Jesuit Piotr Skarga
Piotr Skarga
Piotr Skarga was a Polish Jesuit, preacher, hagiographer, polemicist, and leading figure of the Counter-reformation in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was called the "Polish Bossuet" due to his oratorical abilities.He was born February 2, 1536 in Grójec, to a family of lesser landless gentry...
by invitation at the house of salt mine owner Prosper Prowana in Krakow. The debate played host to the leading Italian Antitrinitarian exiles, including Giorgio Biandrata
Giorgio Biandrata
Giorgio Biandrata or Blandrata , was an Italian physician and polemicist, who came of the De Biandrate family, powerful from the early part of the 13th century, was born at Saluzzo, the youngest son of Bernardino Biandrata.He graduated in arts and medicine at Montpellier in 1533, and specialized in...
, Bernardino Ochino
Bernardino Ochino
Bernardino Ochino was an Italian Reformer.-Biography:Bernardino Ochino was born in Siena son of the barber Domenico Ochino, and at the age of 7 or 8 around 1504 was entrusted to the Minorite order of Franciscan Friars, then from 1510 he studied medicine at Perugia.-1534, transfer to the...
, Giovanni Alciato and Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile
Giovanni Gentile was an Italian neo-Hegelian Idealist philosopher, a peer of Benedetto Croce. He described himself as 'the philosopher of Fascism', and ghostwrote A Doctrine of Fascism for Benito Mussolini. He also devised his own system of philosophy, Actual Idealism.- Life and thought :Giovanni...
. Schomann debated also with Faustus Socinus.
Works
- Autobiographical Testamentum ultimae voluntatis (1684 in Amsterdam in "Bibliotheca antitrinitariorumBibliotheca antitrinitariorumThe Bibliotheca antitrinitariorum, or Antitrinitarian Library, first published in 1684, is a posthumous work of Christopher Sandius , an exiled Prussian Antitrinitarian in Amsterdam, in which he chronologically lists all the Arian and Socinian or Antitrinitarian authors from the Reformation to...
" of Christopher SandiusChristopher SandiusChristopher Sandius Jr. was an Arian writer and publisher of Socinian works without himself being a Socinian....
Schomann drew up the first Socinian catechism (1574) of the Polish Brethren
Polish Brethren
The Polish Brethren were members of the Minor Reformed Church of Poland, a Nontrinitarian Protestant church that existed in Poland from 1565 to 1658...
. It was followed by that of Faustus Socinus himself.
Like another Polish Brethren writer Andrzej Wiszowaty
Andrzej Wiszowaty
Andrzej Wiszowaty Sr. was a Socinian theologian who worked with Joachim Stegmann on the Racovian Catechism of 1605, and taught at the Racovian Academy of the Polish Brethren....
he was cited by Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...