The History of the Church through 100 Masterpieces

The Reformation’s Theoretician

The History of the Church 176 The Reformation’s Theoreticia He was baptized Philipp Schwarzerd, but to show that he knew Greek, he renamed himself Melanchthon, a translation of his surname (“black earth”). A professor and magistrate, Melanchthon lived in Wittenberg under the shadow of Luther; however, it would be difficul to determine which of the two had the greater influence on the other. Where Luther was inflamed and polemical, Melanchthon was discreet and peaceful. He repeatedly tried to reconcile the positions of the Reformation with those of the church, but in vain. Despite his true mildness, Melanchthon played a key role in effect ing the divorce of the Reformation and the papacy. He composed the Augsburg Confession in 1530, the founding document of Lutheranism, followed by an abundance of works that codified Protestant dogma, as well as notes, papers, and letters which he sent by the thousands to princes and men of letters in all of Europe. Styled “the professor of Germany,” he was immensely popular in his country, as testified by his numerous portraits, particularly those by Cranach and Dürer. Lucas Cranach, the Elder (1472–1553) Philippe Melanchthon ...