the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ...

Murren”)—and they do this “in Gelassenheit deß willens und der Güter.” 378 Moreover,
Weigel explicitly condemns those who take violent action in the name of their faith (“die
jenigen sich Christi oder deß Glaubens rühmen, welche umb Land und Leute kriegen und
Feldschlachten thun”) as they behave “gantz wider den Glauben;” it is a misreading of
both Scripture and Christ’s behaviour. 379
Rather than focus on Herod’s inability or unwillingness to recognize that Christ is
the messiah, Weigel is more interested in the relationship between Herod and his
religious advisors, interpreting their behaviour in light of the close cooperation of secular
and religious orders in confessionalized states. Weigel emphasizes the extent to which
Herod relies on the opinion of the “Schrifftgelehrten” who surround him in court (i.e.
rather than the Magi, or his own judgement), and, conversely, the extent to which these
Schrifftgelehrten meddle in political affairs. This might be less objectionable to Weigel if
the priests in Herod’s court were truly pious and able to recognize that the Messiah had
appeared in their midst. They are as blind as Herod, however, and do not try to stop him
when he resorts to violence—a sure sign for Weigel that they are corrupt and ungodly.
Herod, furthermore, tries to struggle against God’s providential ordering of worldly
events by murdering the male children in Bethlehem. This amounts to an exercise of selfwill,
and an insistence on keeping hold of his “Eigenthumb deß Willens” Like all
faithless people, he remains “ihnen selbst gelassen,” living only for himself (“lebete ihm
selber”) and not for God. 380 And in contrast to Mary and Joseph, who leave their home
for an impoverished life in exile, Herod clings to his royal wealth, remaining in his
“Eigenthumb der Güter.” Taken together—the collusion of religious and secular
378 Weigel, Postille, 76.
379 Ibid.
380 Ibid.
141