Postil or Postilla: a medieval Latin term for a marginal note or a Biblical commentary affixed to a text, being an abbreviation of the phrase post illa verba textus. The word first occurs in the chronicle (with reference to examples of 1228 and 1238) of Nicolas Trivetus, but later it came to mean only homiletic exposition, and thus became synonymous with homily

Homily

A homily is a commentary that follows a reading of scripture. In Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a homily is usually given during Mass at the end of the Liturgy of the Word...

 in distinction from the thematic sermon. Finally, after the middle of the fourteenth century, it was applied to an annual cycle of homilies.

Early Lutheran postils

From the time of Martin Luther

Martin Luther

Martin Luther was a German priest, professor of theology and iconic figure of the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He confronted indulgence salesman Johann Tetzel with his Ninety-Five Theses in 1517...

, who published the first part of his postil under the title Enarrationes epistolarum et evangeliorum quas postillas vocant (Wittenberg, 1521), every annual cycle of sermons on the lessons, whether consisting of homilies or formal sermons, is termed a postil. A few of the most famous Lutheran postils are those of M. Luther (Kirchenpostille, Wittenberg, 1527; Hauspostille, 1542, 1549), P. Melanchthon

Philipp Melanchthon

Philipp Melanchthon , born Philipp Schwartzerdt, was a German reformer, collaborator with Martin Luther, the first systematic theologian of the Protestant Reformation, intellectual leader of the Lutheran Reformation, and an influential designer of educational systems...

 (Evangelien-Postille, Germ., Nuremberg, 1549; Lat., Hanover, 1594), M. Chemnitz

Martin Chemnitz

Martin Chemnitz was an eminent second-generation Lutheran theologian, reformer, churchman, and confessor...

 (Evangelien-Postille, Magdeburg, 1594), L. Osiander

Osiander

Osiander was the name of a family of German Lutheran scholars and theologians:# Andreas Osiander# Lucas Osiander the Elder, son of Andreas Osiander# Andreas Osiander II, eldest son of Lucas Osiander the Elder...

 (Bauern-Postille, Tübingen, 1597), and J. Arndt

Johann Arndt

Johann Arndt was a German Lutheran theologian who wrote several influential books of devotional Christianity...

 (Evangelien-Postille, Leipzig, 1616).

Later postils

The term postil fell into disuse during the period of Pietism

Pietism

Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...

 and the Enlightenment

Age of Enlightenment

The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...

, but was revived by Claus Harms

Claus Harms

Claus Harms was a German clergyman and theologian.Harms was born at Fahrstedt in Schleswig-Holstein, and in his youth worked in his father's mill...

 (Winter-Postille, Kiel, 1812; Sommer-Postille, 1815). It has again become common through W. Löhe

Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe

Johann Konrad Wilhelm Löhe was a pastor of the Lutheran Church, Neo-Lutheran writer, and is often regarded as being a founder of the deaconess movement in Lutheranism and a founding sponsor of the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod . He was a pastor in nineteenth-century Germany...

 (Evangelien-Postille, Frommel 1848; Epistel-Postille, 1858), and M. Stuttgart (Herzpostille, Bremen, 1882, 1890; Hauspostille, 1887–88; Pilgerpostille, 1890).

Reformed Churches

Reformed churches

The Reformed churches are a group of Protestant denominations characterized by Calvinist doctrines. They are descended from the Swiss Reformation inaugurated by Huldrych Zwingli but developed more coherently by Martin Bucer, Heinrich Bullinger and especially John Calvin...

, which disregard a regular series of lessons, have no postils; in the Roman Catholic Church

Roman Catholic Church

The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...

 the term has been kept, especially through Leonard Goffiné

Leonard Goffiné

Leonard Goffiné was a German Catholic priest who wrote devotional texts which remained influential in his country for two centuries afterwards....

 (Hand-Postill oder christ-catholische Unterrichtungen von allen Sonn- and Feyr-Tagen des gantzen Jahrs (Mainz, 1690; popular, illustrated ed., reissued twenty-one times by H. Herder, Freiburg-im-Breisgau, 1875–1908; Eng. transl., T. Noethen, New York, n.d.).

See also

• Homiliarium
  Homiliarium
  A homiliarium is a collection of homilies, or familiar explanations of the Gospels.-History:From a very early time the homilies of the Fathers were in high esteem, and were read in connection with the recitation of the Divine Office . That the custom was as old as the sixth century we know since...
  
  
• Book of Homilies
  Book of Homilies
  The Books of Homilies are two books of thirty-three sermons developing the reformed doctrines of the Church of England in greater depth and detail than in the Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion...
  
  
• Apostille

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