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1. Christentum 1.1. Allgemeines Als R. werden in der Geschichte des Christentums diejenigen relig. Bewegungen (Soziale Bewegungen, religiöse) bezeichnet, die eine reinigende Änderung der Zustände oder verbessernde Neuordnung in der Kirche oder deren Teilbereichen (z. B. Frömmigkeit, Liturgie, Orden) anstreben – im Unterschied zu gegenreformerischen oder ›reaktionären‹ Bewegungen, die Änderungen zu verhindern oder Neuerungen rückgängig zu machen suchen. Wenngleich Reform (von lat. reformare, ›umgestalten‹, ›wiederherstellen‹) dem Wortsinn nach auch die Wie…

1. Christianity 1.1. General remarksIn the history of Christianity, the term  religious reform movements comprises those religious movements (Social movements, religious) that aspire to bring about a purifying change in conditions or an improved restructuring in the church or some of its aspects (e.g. devotion, liturgy, monasticism [Order (association)]). These can be contrasted with anti-reformatory or “reactionary” movements that seek to prevent changes or to reverse innovations. Although etymologically reform (from Latin  reformare, “reshape,” “restore”) also …

[English Version] (Wier), 1.  Johannes (1515 Grave, Noordbrabant – 24.2.1588 Tecklenburg), war Schüler des H.C. Agrippa von Nettesheim und nach Studien in Paris von 1550–1578 Leibarzt Herzog Wilhelms des Reichen von Jülich-Kleve-Berg. W. wandte sich gegen den »Hexenhammer« (zuerst 1487) der Dominikaner Jakob Sprenger und Heinrich Institoris und suchte – gegen starke Widerstände (u.a. von J. Bodin) – den Glauben an Hexen (: II.) als Wahnvorstellung zu entlarven. Doch konnte er den Hexenglauben ebenso…

[German Version] (Nov 14, 1741, Sibiu [Ger. Hermannstadt] – Oct 7/13, 1806, Biertan [Ger. Birthälm], Transylvania, Romania). The son of a goldsmith, Müller studied in Jena; in 1767 he became a teacher at the secondary school in his home town, and in 1776 its rector; in 1785, pastor in Guşteriţa (Ger. Hammersdorf), and in 1792 bishop of the Protestant church of the Augsburg Confession in Transylvania ¶ with seat in Biertan. As (co-)author of the anonymously published Die Siebenbürger Sachsen. Eine Volksschrift hg. bey Auflebung der für erloschen erklärten Nation (1790), and a Freemas…

[German Version] 1. Johannes (1515, Grave, Brabant – Feb 24, 1588, Tecklenburg), physician, occultist, and demonologist. Weyer was a disciple of H.C. Agrippa of Nettesheim. ¶ After studying in Paris, he served as personal physician to Duke William the Rich of Jülich-Kleve-Burg from 1550 to 1578. He attacked the Hexenhammer (first publ. 1487) of the Dominicans Jakob Sprenger and Heinrich Institoris and sought – against strong resistance (including from J. Bodin) – to unmask belief in witches (II) as a delusion, but he was no more successful tha…

1. Bible societies are organizations for the distribution of the Bible. The foundations of the Bible society movement may be traced to the Reformation understanding of the Bible as the sole authority in matters of faith and to the concept of the priesthood of all believers. This understanding led to Luther’s translation of the Bible into German and to similar undertakings for other languages. The demand of Pietism for the wider circulation of the Word of God (P. Spener) spurred increased distrib…

[German Version] I. Church History – II. Dogmatics – III. Church Law I. Church History Conciliarism (conciliar theory) is the doctrine that the general council is the highest ecclesial authority such that even the pope is subject to its supremacy. Its roots lie primarily in the discussions of medieval canon law concerning the relationship between papal immunity and responsibility. A discussion concerning the relationship of the infallibility of the church promised Peter (Matt 16:18) to …

[German Version] I. Church History – II. Church Law – III. Dogmatics I. Church History 1. Early Church Council (Lat. concilium, Gk σύνοδος [Lat. synodum]; the two terms were first differentiated in modern usage; see also synod) are meetings of bishops from various communities for binding clarification of disciplinary, organizational, or doctrinal questions, whose decisions, as inspired by the Holy Spirit, are not in principle revisable and claim validity for the whole church r…