the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ...
the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ... the mystical theology of valentin weigel - DataSpace at Princeton ...
After several more exchanges, they get to the crux of the problem, namely the source of religious teaching: “Das [deine Lehre] geben dir keine Lehrer zu, auch hastu solches von mir auf der Cantzel nie gehöret noch jemals in den Schriften unserer praeceptoren gelesen.” The Layman has to conceed that he has not learned his theology from any of these sources: “ich habe es weder von Eur Würde noch bei den Auslegern der Schrifft gefunden, allein in der Biblia finde ich sovil.” Whereas the Layman claims to adhere to Scripture alone, the Preacher appeals to a set of written documents that supplement the Bible: the “Schrifften Domini Philippi oder andern Auslegern der alten und newen Scribenten,” “die Schrifften Luteri,” the “Hohe Schulen” (universities), the Augustana Confessione, the Locis Philippi, oder Corpore Doctrinae, Formula Concordiae. 680 It is these last group of titles that indicates that the Preacher and the Layman are not simply continuing old debates about the sources of religious authority, but rather are debating about the value of confessional documents. The Preacher asserts again and again that the Layman cannot be right because he has not read it in any book and he was not taught it at school. The Layman likewise stubbornly argues his case, until the Preacher is driven to declare that he cannot change his mind because he has sworn an oath to uphold the teaching expressed in confessional books and theological treatises, and does not want to be “vorketzert und zum Lande ausgetrieben” for breaking his oath. 681 As discussed in the Introduction, the Layman reveals that he had also sworn that same oath, even though he held heretical beliefs. He dismisses this “Verschreiben” on the grounds that the oath he made did not pledge loyalty to “Menschenbücher” but rather to the writings of the Prophets and Apostles alone. 680 Weigel, Dialogus, 7. 681 Ibid, 58. 248
Others are loyal to mere men (the Pope, Luther, Melanchthon, or Mohammed), but he is only loyal to Christ: “An Jesum Christum hange ich mich, bei den Schrifften der Aposteln und Propheten bleibe ich bis in den Tod.” 682 What separates the Layman from the Preacher is not their learning or even their ecclesiastical status (both are ordained ministers after all) but rather a refusal to adhere to an oath promising to uphold what is written in a confessional document. But if he did not intend to be bound by his oath, why did the Layman bother signing the Formula Concordiae? To answer to this question, Weigel mobilizes the fact that his Layman is not only a Privatmensch and an idiota, but also a Zuhörer and an Auditor. The Layman thinks there will be no return on the risk taken by his “unzeitiges Bekennen,” because nobody can be persuaded by verbal testimony at all, by a preacher’s sermon from the pulpit, or even by Christ’s preaching itself: the synagogues were not converted when they heard the Lord himself speak, so why should he expect anybody to be converted by his own human preaching? 683 That is, he does not believe that his office as preacher will either help or hinder his fellow Christians in their spiritual development, and so it is not worth him suffering for the sake of reforming his church. For the Layman, words (both spoken and written) are of little use in matters of faith, and so for him, it is better to be a listener than a speaker, a reader rather than a writer. What does the Layman-Auditor listen to, then, if not sermons or the Bible read aloud? Like the soul that has achieved Gelassenheit and has ceased all mental activity to allow God’s perfect and harmonious self-interpretation, the Layman listens primarily to the Word that is indwelling, and only secondly to the echo of this Word in the words he reads in the Bible 682 Weigel, Dialogus, 59. 683 Ibid, 61. 249
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- Page 251: writing. By calling his Layman der
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- Page 269 and 270: Appendix • The Works of Valentin
- Page 271 and 272: BIBLIOGRAPHY Abad, J. M. (1999). Th
- Page 273 and 274: Chenu O.P., M.-D. (1968). In M.-D.
- Page 275 and 276: Eckhart, M. (1993). Werke I (Vol. 1
- Page 277 and 278: Israel, A. (1888). M. Valentin Weig
- Page 279 and 280: MacCulloch, D. (2010). Christianity
- Page 281 and 282: Payne, R. J. (Ed.). (1981). Meister
- Page 283 and 284: Schindling, A., & Ziegler, W. (1990
- Page 285 and 286: Verkamp, B. J. (1975). The Limits u
O<strong>the</strong>rs are loyal to mere men (<strong>the</strong> Pope, Lu<strong>the</strong>r, Melanchthon, or Mohammed), but he is<br />
only loyal to Christ: “An Jesum Christum hange ich mich, bei den Schrifften der<br />
Aposteln und Propheten bleibe ich bis in den Tod.” 682 Wh<strong>at</strong> separ<strong>at</strong>es <strong>the</strong> Layman from<br />
<strong>the</strong> Preacher is not <strong>the</strong>ir learning or even <strong>the</strong>ir ecclesiastical st<strong>at</strong>us (both are ordained<br />
ministers after all) but ra<strong>the</strong>r a refusal to adhere to an o<strong>at</strong>h promising to uphold wh<strong>at</strong> is<br />
written in a confessional document.<br />
But if he did not intend to be bound by his o<strong>at</strong>h, why did <strong>the</strong> Layman bo<strong>the</strong>r<br />
signing <strong>the</strong> Formula Concordiae? To answer to this question, Weigel mobilizes <strong>the</strong> fact<br />
th<strong>at</strong> his Layman is not only a Priv<strong>at</strong>mensch and an idiota, but also a Zuhörer and an<br />
Auditor. The Layman thinks <strong>the</strong>re will be no return on <strong>the</strong> risk taken by his “unzeitiges<br />
Bekennen,” because nobody can be persuaded by verbal testimony <strong>at</strong> all, by a preacher’s<br />
sermon from <strong>the</strong> pulpit, or even by Christ’s preaching itself: <strong>the</strong> synagogues were not<br />
converted when <strong>the</strong>y heard <strong>the</strong> Lord himself speak, so why should he expect anybody to<br />
be converted by his own human preaching? 683 Th<strong>at</strong> is, he does not believe th<strong>at</strong> his <strong>of</strong>fice<br />
as preacher will ei<strong>the</strong>r help or hinder his fellow Christians in <strong>the</strong>ir spiritual development,<br />
and so it is not worth him suffering for <strong>the</strong> sake <strong>of</strong> reforming his church. For <strong>the</strong> Layman,<br />
words (both spoken and written) are <strong>of</strong> little use in m<strong>at</strong>ters <strong>of</strong> faith, and so for him, it is<br />
better to be a listener than a speaker, a reader ra<strong>the</strong>r than a writer. Wh<strong>at</strong> does <strong>the</strong><br />
Layman-Auditor listen to, <strong>the</strong>n, if not sermons or <strong>the</strong> Bible read aloud? Like <strong>the</strong> soul th<strong>at</strong><br />
has achieved Gelassenheit and has ceased all mental activity to allow God’s perfect and<br />
harmonious self-interpret<strong>at</strong>ion, <strong>the</strong> Layman listens primarily to <strong>the</strong> Word th<strong>at</strong> is<br />
indwelling, and only secondly to <strong>the</strong> echo <strong>of</strong> this Word in <strong>the</strong> words he reads in <strong>the</strong> Bible<br />
682 Weigel, Dialogus, 59.<br />
683 Ibid, 61.<br />
249
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