Editing Johannes Bugenhagen

'''Johannes Bugenhagen''' (24 June 1485 – 20 April 1558), also called ''Doctor Pomeranus'' by [[Martin Luther]], introduced the [[Protestant Reformation]] in the [[Duchy of Pomerania]] and [[Denmark]] in the 16th century. Among his major accomplishments was organization of [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] churches in [[Northern Germany]] and [[Scandinavia]]. He has also been called ''the second Apostle of the North''.

Johannes Bugenhagen was pastor to Martin Luther at St. Mary's church in [[Wittenberg]]. He is also commemorated in the [[Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)|Calendar of Saints]] of the [[Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod]] as a pastor on 20 April.

== Biography ==

===Early life===
Bugenhagen was born in [[Wolin (town)|Wollin]] (now Wolin), [[Duchy of Pomerania]], on 24 June 1485 as one of three children of local [[councillor|Ratsherr]] Gerhard Bugenhagen. From 1502 to 1504, he studied [[liberal arts|artes]] at the  [[University of Greifswald]]. In 1504, he moved to [[Treptow an der Rega]] (now Trzebiatów) and became [[Rector (academia)|Rector]] of the local school. Though he had not studied theology, he was ordained as a priest in Treptow's ''St. Mary's Church'' in 1509, and served as a [[vicar]] at the [[College (canon law)|Kanonikerkolleg]] of that church thereafter.<ref name=KP79/>

In 1517, abbot [[Johann Boldewan]] called Bugenhagen to his nearby [[Belbuck Abbey]], where he was appointed Biblical lecturer, where Boldewan and Bugenhagen became the core of a [[Humanism|Humanist]] circle.<ref name=KP79/> Duke [[Bogislav X, Duke of Pomerania|Bogislav X]] of Pomerania ordered Bugenhagen to write down the history of Pomerania in [[Latin]]. The year 1518 is the beginning of historical writing of the combined territory Pomerania.

Bugenhagen first encountered the [[Lutheranism|theology of Luther]] in the reformer's ''[[Prelude on the Babylonian Captivity of the Church]]'' in 1520. At first he did not like Luther's thoughts at all. However, once he had studied it more, Bugenhagen became a supporter of the Reformation and moved to [[Wittenberg]].

===Wittenberg===
[[image:Johannes-Bugenhagen-1532.jpg|thumb|left||Johannes Bugenhagen by [[Lucas Cranach the elder]] 1532  ]] 
In Wittenberg, Bugenhagen was elected parish pastor on October 25, 1523,<ref name=Nieden4651>Nieden (2006), pp.46,51</ref> making him [[Martin Luther]]'s pastor and confessor.<ref name=Kaufmann58>Kaufmann (1998), p.58</ref> He was a member of Luther's team translating the [[Holy Bible]] from [[Latin language|Latin]] to [[German language|German]], and opened the debate on [[Ulrich Zwingli]]'s [[Reformed churches|reforms]].<ref name=Kaufmann58/>

By 1523, his private lectures had become well known, so he was called to lecture the following years at the ''Leucorea'', the university in Wittenberg<ref name=Nieden4647>Nieden (2006), pp.46-47</ref> (today [[University of Halle-Wittenberg|Martin Luther University]]). Bugenhagen was among the most important teachers and practitioners of biblical interpretation in the Wittenberg-centered [[Protestant Reformation]] and ordained a generation of Lutheran pastors who had been educated at this university.<ref name=Kaufmann58/>

[[File:Bugenhagen-Predigt.jpg|thumb|250px|''Die Predigt rechter Altarflügel der Vorderseite des Altars der Wittenberger Stadtkirche'' by [[Lucas Cranach the Elder]]. Note the keys of the kingdom in Bugenhagen's hands]]

On 17 March 1533,<ref name=Nieden62>Nieden (2006), p.62</ref> he was promoted doctor of theology at the university of Wittenberg, together with [[Johannes Aepinus]] and [[Kaspar Cruciger]].<ref name=Nieden62/><ref name=SW58>Selderhuis & Wriedt (2006), p.58</ref> The promotion was supervised by [[Martin Luther]], based on [[Philipp Melanchthon]]'s theses, financed and attended by [[Frederick III, Elector of Saxony]], and formally granted by deacon [[Justus Jonas]]. With the ceremony in [[Wittenberg]]'s castle church (''Schloßkirche''),<ref name=Nieden62/> Aepinus, Bugenhagen and Cruciger became the first three [[Protestantism|Protestant]] doctors of theology.<ref name=SW58/>

While theological doctoral promotions had been suspended in Wittenberg for the preceding eight years,<ref name=Nieden61>Nieden (2006), p.61</ref> the promotion of Aepinus had become necessary as the [[Hamburg]] [[bourgeoisie|burgher]]s demanded [[List of bishops of Hamburg#Superintendents of Hamburg (1532–1593)|their new superintendent]] to bear the title of a doctor.<ref name=SW58/><ref group=nb name=SW58NB>In a letter to Bugenhagen, the Hamburg burghers demanded that their new superintendent Aepinus must "''eyne Qualificerde parsonne nemptlick doctor theology syn''" ("be a qualified person, that is a doctor of theology"). Selderhuis & Wriedt (2006), p.58</ref> Melanchthon had written the speech for Jonas which laid the foundation of a Protestant doctorate, and Frederick III "the Wise" sponsored a subsequent celebration to introduce the new Protestant doctorate to the theological world.<ref name=Nieden62/>

===Reformatory work===
After he had outlined his reform ideas in a letter to the [[Hamburg]] community, Bugenhagen was the most important figure in the Protestant Reformation in [[Northern Germany]] and [[Scandinavia]].<ref name=Kaufmann58/> He took an active lead in creating new ''church orders'' ([[Kirchenordnung]]en) for [[Hildesheim]] (1544),<ref name=Kaufmann58/> [[Hamburg]] (1528/29),<ref name=Kaufmann58/><ref name=SW55>Selderhuis & Wriedt (2006), p.55</ref> [[Free City of Lübeck|Lübeck]] (1530–1532),<ref name=Kaufmann58/> the [[Duchy of Pomerania]] (1534/5),<ref name=Kaufmann58/> [[East Frisia]] (1534/5),<ref name=Kaufmann58/> [[Schleswig-Holstein]] (1542),<ref name=Lorentzen39>Lorentzen (2008), p. 39</ref> [[Braunschweig]] (1528),<ref name=Kaufmann58/><ref name=SW55/> [[Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel]] (1543),<ref name=Kaufmann58/> and [[Denmark-Norway]] (1537),<ref name=Lorentzen39/> where he also crowned [[Christian III of Denmark|Christian III]].<ref>Lockhart (2007), p. 64</ref>

This earned him later the [[epithet]] ''second Apostle of the North''.<ref>Zietz (1834); Schneider (2008), p.4.</ref> Not only did he create the new rules, he also established them and convinced people to follow them. Bugenhagen produced rules and regulations for religious service, for schooling, and for social issues of the church. In 1539, he became [[superintendent (ecclesiastical)|superintendent]] of the Lutheran Church in [[Electorate of Saxony|Saxony]].

Also in 1539, Bugenhagen reformed the Pomeranian [[University of Greifswald]], which he "re-founded" as a Protestant university, modelled after the university of Wittenberg.<ref name=SW60>Selderhuis & Wriedt (2006), p.60</ref>

===Late life===
After the death of Luther in 1546, Bugenhagen took care of Luther's [[Katharina Luther|widow]] and children. Bugenhagen died in Wittenberg in 1558 and was buried at St. Mary's church. Other than for his theological opinions, Bugenhagen was also well-known because of his organising ability. Bugenhagen was also appreciated for his work in making a [[Middle Low German]] translation of Luther's Bible in 1534.

Johannes Bugenhagen was always a pastor at heart, and because of his love for music, his family coat of arms shows a [[harp]].

==See also==
{{lutheranism}}
*[[Pomerania during the Early Modern Age]]
*[[Reformation in Denmark-Norway and Holstein]]

==Notes==

==Sources==

===References===

===Bibliography===
* Hans-Günter Leder, ''Johannes Bugenhagen Pomeranus – vom Reformer zum Reformator. Studien zur Biographie'' (Frankfurt-am-Main: Peter Lang, 2002) (Greifswalder theologische Forschungen, 4).
* Hans-Günter Leder, ''Johannes Bugenhagen Pomeranus - Nachgelassene Studien zur Biographie mit einer Bibliographie zur Johannes Bugenhagen-Forschung'', herausgegeben von Irmfried Garbe und Volker Gummelt (Frankfurt-am-Main, Peter Lang, 2008) (Greifswalder theologische Forschungen, 15).
*Cf. Johann Heinrich Zietz, ''Johannes Bugenhagen – zweiter Apostel des Nordens, nach seinen Lebensschicksalen und seiner Wirksamkeit für die Gestaltung der evangelischen Kirche: Ein biographischer Versuch'' (<sup>1</sup>1829), Leipzig: Sühring, <sup>2</sup>1834, passim


== Further reading ==
* Bugenhagen, Johannes, [http://beck.library.emory.edu/luther/luther_site/luther_text.html A Christian sermon over the body and at the funeral of the venerable Dr. Martin Luther]. Translated by Kurt Hendel, 1996. 
* Ruccius, Walter M, [https://archive.org/details/johnbugenhagenpo00rucc John Bugenhagen Pomeranus; a biographical sketch].  Philadelphia: United Lutheran Publication House.
* Vogt, Karl August Traugott, [https://books.google.com/books?id=hR8DAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false Johannes Bugenhagen Pomeranus. Leben und ausgewählte Schriften]. Elberfeld: Friderichs, 1867.
*  Zietz, Johann Heinrich, ''Johannes Bugenhagen – zweiter Apostel des Nordens, nach seinen Lebensschicksalen und seiner Wirksamkeit für die Gestaltung der evangelischen Kirche: Ein biographischer Versuch'' (<sup>1</sup>1829), Leipzig: Sühring, <sup>2</sup>1834. No ISBN.

==Bugenhagen's works online==
* Danish-Norwegian Kirchenordnung (1537), Latin edition: [https://books.google.com/books?id=aCNRAAAAcAAJ scan of original]; [https://archive.org/stream/diplomatariumisl10kaupuoft#page/256/mode/2up Reykjavik 1914 reprint (pp. 257-328)]; [http://renaessancesprog.dk/tekstbase/Kirkeordinansen_1537/1/view?query_id=None HTML]

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[[Category:1485 births]]
[[Category:1558 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Wolin (town)]]
[[Category:German Lutheran clergy]]
[[Category:German Lutheran theologians]]
[[Category:People celebrated in the Lutheran liturgical calendar]]
[[Category:People from the Duchy of Pomerania]]
[[Category:German Protestant Reformers]]
[[Category:University of Greifswald alumni]]
[[Category:University of Wittenberg faculty]]
[[Category:16th-century German Protestant theologians]]
[[Category:German male writers]]