Wolfgang Fabricius Capito
Encyclopedia
Wolfgang Fabricius Capito (or Köpfel) (1478 – November 1541) was a German
religious reformer
in Alsace
.
He was educated for the medical profession, but also studied law
, and applied himself so earnestly to theology
that he received the doctorate in that faculty also, and, having joined the Benedictines, taught for some time at Freiburg
. He acted for three years as pastor in Bruchsal
, and was then called to the cathedral church of Basel
(1515). Here he made the acquaintance of Zwingli
and began to correspond with Luther
.
In 1519 he removed to Mainz
at the request of Albrecht, archbishop of that city, who soon made him his chancellor. In 1523 he settled at Strasbourg
, where he remained till his death in November 1541. He had found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the new religion with the old, and from 1524 was one of the leaders of the reformed faith in Strasbourg. He took a prominent part in the earlier ecclesiastical transactions of the 16th century, was present at the second conference of Zürich
and at the conference of Marburg
, and along with Martin Bucer
drew up the Confessio Tetrapolitana.
Capito was always more concerned for the "unity of the spirit" than for dogmatic formularies, and from his endeavours to conciliate the Lutheran and Zwinglian parties in regard to the sacraments, he seems to have incurred the suspicions of his own friends; while from his intimacy with Martin Cellarius
and other divines of the Socinian school he drew on himself the charge of Arianism
.
In 1532 Capito married Wibrandis Rosenblatt
, the widow of Oecolampadius, who after his death married Martin Bucer
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
religious reformer
His life and work
Capito was born in born of humble parentage at HaguenauHaguenau
-Economy:The town has a well balanced economy. Centuries of troubled history in the buffer lands between France and Germany have bequeathed to Haguenau a rich historical and cultural heritage which supports a lively tourist trade. There is also a thriving light manufacturing sector centred on the...
in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
.
He was educated for the medical profession, but also studied law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
, and applied himself so earnestly to theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
that he received the doctorate in that faculty also, and, having joined the Benedictines, taught for some time at Freiburg
Freiburg
Freiburg im Breisgau is a city in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In the extreme south-west of the country, it straddles the Dreisam river, at the foot of the Schlossberg. Historically, the city has acted as the hub of the Breisgau region on the western edge of the Black Forest in the Upper Rhine Plain...
. He acted for three years as pastor in Bruchsal
Bruchsal
Bruchsal is a city at the western edge of the Kraichgau, approximately 20 km northeast of Karlsruhe in the state of Baden-Württemberg, Germany...
, and was then called to the cathedral church of Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
(1515). Here he made the acquaintance of Zwingli
Huldrych Zwingli
Ulrich Zwingli was a leader of the Reformation in Switzerland. Born during a time of emerging Swiss patriotism and increasing criticism of the Swiss mercenary system, he attended the University of Vienna and the University of Basel, a scholarly centre of humanism...
and began to correspond with 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...
.
In 1519 he removed to Mainz
Mainz
Mainz under the Holy Roman Empire, and previously was a Roman fort city which commanded the west bank of the Rhine and formed part of the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire...
at the request of Albrecht, archbishop of that city, who soon made him his chancellor. In 1523 he settled at Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, where he remained till his death in November 1541. He had found it increasingly difficult to reconcile the new religion with the old, and from 1524 was one of the leaders of the reformed faith in Strasbourg. He took a prominent part in the earlier ecclesiastical transactions of the 16th century, was present at the second conference of Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
and at the conference of Marburg
Marburg
Marburg is a city in the state of Hesse, Germany, on the River Lahn. It is the main town of the Marburg-Biedenkopf district and its population, as of March 2010, was 79,911.- Founding and early history :...
, and along with Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer was a Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and practices. Bucer was originally a member of the Dominican Order, but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he arranged for his monastic vows to be annulled...
drew up the Confessio Tetrapolitana.
Capito was always more concerned for the "unity of the spirit" than for dogmatic formularies, and from his endeavours to conciliate the Lutheran and Zwinglian parties in regard to the sacraments, he seems to have incurred the suspicions of his own friends; while from his intimacy with Martin Cellarius
Martin Cellarius
Martin Borrhaus was a German Protestant theologian and reformer.-Life:Borrhaus was born in Stuttgart and raised as an adopted child of a Simon Keller.. He enrolled at the University of Tübingen, where in 1515 he graduated and came to know Philipp Melanchthon...
and other divines of the Socinian school he drew on himself the charge of Arianism
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...
.
In 1532 Capito married Wibrandis Rosenblatt
Wibrandis Rosenblatt
Wibrandis Rosenblatt was the wife of three religious reformers, who predeceased her: Johannes Oecolampadius , Wolfgang Capito , and Martin Bucer . She was the widow of a Ludwig Keller before she was married to Oecolampadius. She was the mother of 11 children.She was born in 1504 in Bad Säckingen...
, the widow of Oecolampadius, who after his death married Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer
Martin Bucer was a Protestant reformer based in Strasbourg who influenced Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican doctrines and practices. Bucer was originally a member of the Dominican Order, but after meeting and being influenced by Martin Luther in 1518 he arranged for his monastic vows to be annulled...
.
Works
His principal works were:- Institutionum Hebraicarum libri duo;
- Enarrationes in Habacuc et Hoseam Prophetas;
- a life of OecolampadiusJohannes OecolampadiusJohannes Œcolampadius was a German religious reformer. His real name was Hussgen or Heussgen .-Life:He was born in Weinsberg, then part of the Electoral Palatinate...
and an account of the synod of Berne (1532); - a Greek version of the IliadIliadThe Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
in which he refers to himself as volfivs cephalaevs or wolfius cephalaeus