Petr Chelcický
Encyclopedia
Petr Chelčický (ˈpɛtr̩ ˈxɛltʃɪtskiː) (c. 1390 – c. 1460) was a Christian
and political leader and author in 15th century Bohemia
(now the Czech Republic
).
, southern Bohemia
in about 1390, although one theory puts his birth as early as 1374. Very little is known about his personal history. Different historians have called him a serf
, an independent farmer, a squire
, a nobleman, a cobbler, a priest
, and a Waldensian. On one occasion, Chelčický called himself a peasant
, but this description is at odds with his ability to live in Prague
from 1419–1421, his rudimentary knowledge of Latin
, and the time he was able to devote to literary, political, and religious pursuits. It is certain that he was unusually literate for a medieval man without a regular academic education. After 1421 he lived and farmed in his native village of Chelčice, near Vodňany
. He produced 56 known works, but the majority remain unpublished and inaccessible except in the original manuscripts. His thinking was influenced by Thomas of Štítný
, John Wycliffe
, Jan Hus
, and the Waldensian tradition. He died around 1460.
s, Quakers, and Baptists. He was the first pacifist writer of the Renaissance
, predating Erasmus and Menno Simons
by nearly 100 years.
and the emperor (the church and the state) "whales who have torn the net of true faith", because they established the church as the head of a secular empire. Chelčický believed that Christians should follow the law of love, and in so doing should not be compelled by state authority. He taught that the believer should not accept government office, nor even appeal to its authority, as for the true believer to take part in government was sin
ful. He argued that capital punishment
and other forms of violent punishment were wrong. His positions on government are similar to the Christian anarchist principles of Leo Tolstoy
. Tolstoy praised Chelčický's work in his 1894 book The Kingdom of God is Within You
.
"The man who obeys God needs no other authority (over him)." — Petr Chelčický
to show that both the sinners and the saints should be allowed to live together until the harvest. He thought that it is wrong even to kill the sinful, and that Christian
s should refuse military service
. He argued that if the poor refused, the lords would have no one to go to war for them. Chelčický taught that no physical power can destroy evil
, and that Christians should accept persecution without retaliating. He believed war was the worst evil, and thought soldiers were no more than murderers. He even opposed defensive war. He believed the example of Jesus
and the Gospel
was an example of peace.
in Communism in Central Europe in the Time of the Reformation, "The nature of the first organisation of the Bohemian Brethren is not at all clear, as the later Brothers were ashamed of their communistic origin, and endeavoured to conceal it in every possible way." Some of Chelčický's statements tend to indicate that he thought only the poor were genuine Christians.
. He taught that the Christian should strive for righteousness
of his own free will
, that he must not force others to be good, and that goodness should be voluntary. He believed that the Christian must love God
and one's neighbor, and that this is the way to convert people rather than by compulsion. He maintained that any type of compulsion is evil, and that Christians should not participate in political power struggles.
, opposed physical warfare, and noted that obligations of debts gave lenders power over debtors. In ("On the Triple Division of Society") Chelčický criticized the nobility
, the clergy
, and the middle class
. In it he described how they subjected the common people and rode them "as if they were beasts". His most comprehensive work, written around 1443 and one of his last, was ("The Net of True Faith"). In it he showed how the apostles treated all people as equals, and considered Christ
as the only head. It was in this book that he argued that the emperor and the pope were the two great whales that burst the net of faith. In it he also included extensive commentary on the Council of Basel
.
(Jednota Bratrská), and even the Baptist Union in the Czech Republic
(also known as the Unity of Brethren Baptists). Important similarities can be seen between his teachings and the Continental Anabaptist
s, and, to a lesser extent, the English Baptists, though no direct connections have been shown to exist. He emphasized the New Testament
as the exclusive and final source to know the will of God. He held two sacrament
s: baptism
and the Lord's Supper. He encouraged people to read and interpret the Bible
for themselves.
Chelčický's work, specifically The Net of Faith, influenced Leo Tolstoy
and is referenced in his book The Kingdom of God Is Within You
. His name appears as Helchitsky in many English translations.
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and political leader and author in 15th century Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
(now the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
).
Chelčický's background
Petr Chelčický is thought to have been born in ChelčiceChelčice
Chelčice is a village and municipality in Strakonice District in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic.The municipality covers an area of , and has a population of 427 ....
, southern Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
in about 1390, although one theory puts his birth as early as 1374. Very little is known about his personal history. Different historians have called him a serf
SERF
A spin exchange relaxation-free magnetometer is a type of magnetometer developed at Princeton University in the early 2000s. SERF magnetometers measure magnetic fields by using lasers to detect the interaction between alkali metal atoms in a vapor and the magnetic field.The name for the technique...
, an independent farmer, a squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
, a nobleman, a cobbler, a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
, and a Waldensian. On one occasion, Chelčický called himself a peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
, but this description is at odds with his ability to live in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
from 1419–1421, his rudimentary knowledge of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, and the time he was able to devote to literary, political, and religious pursuits. It is certain that he was unusually literate for a medieval man without a regular academic education. After 1421 he lived and farmed in his native village of Chelčice, near Vodňany
Vodnany
Vodňany is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has around 7,000 inhabitants.Administrative parts of Vodňany are: Čavyně, Hvožďany, Křtětice, Pražák, Radčice, Újezd, Vodňanské Svobodné Hory, Vodňany I and Vodňany II....
. He produced 56 known works, but the majority remain unpublished and inaccessible except in the original manuscripts. His thinking was influenced by Thomas of Štítný
Tomáš Štítný ze Štítného
Tomáš Štítný ze Štítného was a Czech nobleman, writer, theologian, translator, and preacher. He died in Prague.-links:* from 1852, some of his manuscripts....
, John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe
John Wycliffe was an English Scholastic philosopher, theologian, lay preacher, translator, reformer and university teacher who was known as an early dissident in the Roman Catholic Church during the 14th century. His followers were known as Lollards, a somewhat rebellious movement, which preached...
, Jan Hus
Jan Hus
Jan Hus , often referred to in English as John Hus or John Huss, was a Czech priest, philosopher, reformer, and master at Charles University in Prague...
, and the Waldensian tradition. He died around 1460.
Chelčický's teachings
Petr Chelčický's teachings included ideas later adopted by the Moravians, AnabaptistAnabaptist
Anabaptists are Protestant Christians of the Radical Reformation of 16th-century Europe, and their direct descendants, particularly the Amish, Brethren, Hutterites, and Mennonites....
s, Quakers, and Baptists. He was the first pacifist writer of the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
, predating Erasmus and Menno Simons
Menno Simons
Menno Simons was an Anabaptist religious leader from the Friesland region of the Low Countries. Simons was a contemporary of the Protestant Reformers and his followers became known as Mennonites...
by nearly 100 years.
Church and state
Chelčický called the PopePope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...
and the emperor (the church and the state) "whales who have torn the net of true faith", because they established the church as the head of a secular empire. Chelčický believed that Christians should follow the law of love, and in so doing should not be compelled by state authority. He taught that the believer should not accept government office, nor even appeal to its authority, as for the true believer to take part in government was sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
ful. He argued that capital punishment
Capital punishment
Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for an offence. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally...
and other forms of violent punishment were wrong. His positions on government are similar to the Christian anarchist principles of Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
. Tolstoy praised Chelčický's work in his 1894 book The Kingdom of God is Within You
The Kingdom of God Is Within You
The Kingdom of God Is Within You is the non-fiction magnum opus of Leo Tolstoy and was first published in Germany in 1894, after being banned in his home country of Russia...
.
"The man who obeys God needs no other authority (over him)." — Petr Chelčický
Nonviolence and war
As early as 1420 Chelčický taught that violence should not be used in religious matters. Chelčický used the parable of the wheat and the taresParable of the Weeds
The Parable of the Tares, , is one of the parables of Jesus, which appears in only one of the Canonical gospels of the New Testament...
to show that both the sinners and the saints should be allowed to live together until the harvest. He thought that it is wrong even to kill the sinful, and that Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
s should refuse military service
Military service
Military service, in its simplest sense, is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary draft . Some nations require a specific amount of military service from every citizen...
. He argued that if the poor refused, the lords would have no one to go to war for them. Chelčický taught that no physical power can destroy evil
Evil
Evil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
, and that Christians should accept persecution without retaliating. He believed war was the worst evil, and thought soldiers were no more than murderers. He even opposed defensive war. He believed the example of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
and the Gospel
Gospel
A gospel is an account, often written, that describes the life of Jesus of Nazareth. In a more general sense the term "gospel" may refer to the good news message of the New Testament. It is primarily used in reference to the four canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John...
was an example of peace.
Communal living
Chelčický was a communist in the original Christian sense, and thought that there must be complete equality in the Christian community. He said there should be no rich or poor, since the Christian relinquished all property and status. He maintained that Christians could expel evil persons from their community, but could not compel them to be good. He believed in equality, but that the State should not force it upon society, and went so far as to proffer that social inequality is a creature of the State, and rises and falls with it. According to KautskyKarl Kautsky
Karl Johann Kautsky was a Czech-German philosopher, journalist, and Marxist theoretician. Kautsky was recognized as among the most authoritative promulgators of Orthodox Marxism after the death of Friedrich Engels in 1895 until the coming of World War I in 1914 and was called by some the "Pope of...
in Communism in Central Europe in the Time of the Reformation, "The nature of the first organisation of the Bohemian Brethren is not at all clear, as the later Brothers were ashamed of their communistic origin, and endeavoured to conceal it in every possible way." Some of Chelčický's statements tend to indicate that he thought only the poor were genuine Christians.
Priesthood of the believer
Chelčický criticized the use of force in matters of faithFaith
Faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing, or a belief that is not based on proof. In religion, faith is a belief in a transcendent reality, a religious teacher, a set of teachings or a Supreme Being. Generally speaking, it is offered as a means by which the truth of the proposition,...
. He taught that the Christian should strive for righteousness
Righteousness
Righteousness is an important theological concept in Zoroastrianism, Hinduism , Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
of his own free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
, that he must not force others to be good, and that goodness should be voluntary. He believed that the Christian must love God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
and one's neighbor, and that this is the way to convert people rather than by compulsion. He maintained that any type of compulsion is evil, and that Christians should not participate in political power struggles.
Chelčický's writings
("On Spiritual Warfare"), written in 1421, was his first major work. In it, Chelčický argued that the Taborites had participated in violence through the devil's deceit and the lust for the things of the world. He also criticized the chiliastsMillennialism
Millennialism , or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state...
, opposed physical warfare, and noted that obligations of debts gave lenders power over debtors. In ("On the Triple Division of Society") Chelčický criticized the nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
, the clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
, and the middle class
Middle class
The middle class is any class of people in the middle of a societal hierarchy. In Weberian socio-economic terms, the middle class is the broad group of people in contemporary society who fall socio-economically between the working class and upper class....
. In it he described how they subjected the common people and rode them "as if they were beasts". His most comprehensive work, written around 1443 and one of his last, was ("The Net of True Faith"). In it he showed how the apostles treated all people as equals, and considered Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
as the only head. It was in this book that he argued that the emperor and the pope were the two great whales that burst the net of faith. In it he also included extensive commentary on the Council of Basel
Council of Florence
The Council of Florence was an Ecumenical Council of the Roman Catholic Church. It began in 1431 in Basel, Switzerland, and became known as the Council of Ferrara after its transfer to Ferrara was decreed by Pope Eugene IV, to convene in 1438...
.
Chelčický's influence
Chelčický has been called "the foremost thinker of the 15th-century Czech Hussite Reformation movement." He certainly was an influential thinker among the Bohemian brethren of his day. Beyond his own time, his influence can be seen in the Moravians (Unitas Fratrum), Unity of the BrethrenUnity of the Brethren
The Unity of the Brethren is a Christian denomination whose roots are in the pre-reformation work of priest and philosopher Jan Hus, who was martyred in 1415.-History in Bohemia:...
(Jednota Bratrská), and even the Baptist Union in the Czech Republic
Baptist Union in the Czech Republic
Widely known as the Baptist Union in the Czech Republic among English-speakers, the Bratrská Jednota Baptistů v České republice is an association serving Baptist Christians in the Czech Republic. They are also known in English as the Unity of Brethren Baptists1.-Background:Baptist work in the...
(also known as the Unity of Brethren Baptists). Important similarities can be seen between his teachings and the Continental 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....
s, and, to a lesser extent, the English Baptists, though no direct connections have been shown to exist. He emphasized the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
as the exclusive and final source to know the will of God. He held two sacrament
Sacrament
A sacrament is a sacred rite recognized as of particular importance and significance. There are various views on the existence and meaning of such rites.-General definitions and terms:...
s: baptism
Baptism
In Christianity, baptism is for the majority the rite of admission , almost invariably with the use of water, into the Christian Church generally and also membership of a particular church tradition...
and the Lord's Supper. He encouraged people to read and interpret the Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
for themselves.
Chelčický's work, specifically The Net of Faith, influenced Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
and is referenced in his book The Kingdom of God Is Within You
The Kingdom of God Is Within You
The Kingdom of God Is Within You is the non-fiction magnum opus of Leo Tolstoy and was first published in Germany in 1894, after being banned in his home country of Russia...
. His name appears as Helchitsky in many English translations.
See also
- Christian anarchismChristian anarchismChristian anarchism is a movement in political theology that combines anarchism and Christianity. It is the belief that there is only one source of authority to which Christians are ultimately answerable, the authority of God as embodied in the teachings of Jesus...
- Christian pacifismChristian pacifismChristian pacifism is the theological and ethical position that any form of violence is incompatible with the Christian faith. Christian pacifists state that Jesus himself was a pacifist who taught and practiced pacifism, and that his followers must do likewise.There have been various notable...
- The Slav EpicThe Slav EpicThe Slav Epic is a cycle of 20 large canvases painted by Czech Art Nouveau painter Alfons Mucha between 1910 and 1928. The cycle depicts the history of Czechs and other Slavic peoples. In 1928, after finishing his monumental work, Mucha bestowed the cycle to the city of Prague on condition that...
(Painting: Petr Chelčický at Vodňany: Do not repay evil with evil)
External links
- Chelcicky's Nonviolence
- The Bohemian Brethren - from Karl Kautsky's Communism in Central Europe in the Time of the Reformation
- Molnár's A Study of Peter Chelcický’s Life and a Translation from Czech of Part One of his Net of Faith as one web page, as a page per chapter, and as a PDF file.
- The Birth, Life, and Death of the Bohemian Revival-A historical overview of the revival that generated the Unitas Fratrum