Christian Chemnitz

Christian Chemnitz was born in Königsfeld, a small town in the hills to the south of Leipzig. The family was able to trace its origins back to Pritzwalk in Brandenburg where since 1287 they had provided no fewer than sixteen mayors and chief aldermen. The most notable family member in more recent generations was Christian's great uncle, the theologian and reformer Martin Chemnitz (1522-1586). Christian's father was another Martin Chemnitz (1564-1627), a teacher and theologian in Königsfeld where he had been appointed pastor in 1593. Christian's mother, born Dorothea Jentsch, was the daughter Johann Jentsch, mayor and town clerk of nearby Geithain.^[1] Christian Chemnitz grew up in poverty since the land was in a state of permanent crisis thanks to the Thirty Years War and the accompanying heightened plague risk and economic dislocation.^[2]

In June 1626 Christian, by now aged 11, along with his brother Christoph Chemnitz, was relocated to Zeitz, a couple of days to the west, where he attended the school. It was here that he learned of his father's death, in a plague outbreak, slightly less than a year later.^[1] In May 1632 he concluded his schooling with a farewell speech "de laudibus musices" ("in praise of music") and enrolled at the University of Leipzig. However, he was driven to leave the city by a plague outbreak and transferred to Jena where he arrived on 4 August 1633 with just 16 groschen.^[4]

At Jena he studied under Paul Slevogt, receiving his "Baccalaurat" in 1633 and becoming, on 8 August 1637, a Master of Philosophical sciences and Theology.^[3] This opened the way to a teaching career that included the Greek, Hebrew and Syrian languages^[2] along with Logic, Physics, Metaphysics and Latin Letters.^[3] On 14 September 1638 he became Rector of the city's school.^[4]

In 1643 he moved to nearby Weimar, becoming a deacon.^[2][5] Promotion to the rank of archdeacon in succession to Friedrich Langen, who had died, followed in 1645.^[4] In 1647 he moved to Braunschweig, moving again in 1648 to Eisenach where he took a position as an (ecclesiastical) Superintendent.^[4] However, before long he turned his back on a career as a church administrator, returning to Jena University where, in 1652, he received his habilitation (higher academic qualification) and became a part-time teacher in Theology ("Gottesgelehrtheit"), at the same time taking a post as university vice-superintendent. On 13 August 1653 he became a doctor of holy scripture. A series of further university promotions rapidly followed.^[4]

On his appointment as vice-superintendent, Chemnitz became deputy to a man in his late eighties. In January 1654 Johannes Major died, following which Chemnitz took over his role as superintendent, also taking on the full professorship / teaching chair at the Theology faculty.^[1] He also took his share of administrative responsibilities, several times serving as Dean of Faculty.^[6] He also served two^[7] terms as university rector. The office holder was switched twice a year, and Christian Chemnitz held the position during the winter terms of 1655/56 and 1659/60.^[8]

Christian Chemnitz died in Jena.

In terms of what later emerged as mainstream Lutheranism, Chemnitz's biblical and confessional approach represented a relatively mild form of seventeenth century orthodoxy.^[2] Even if his exegetic, dogmatic and devotional contributions have been subsequently superseded, they remain valuable as representative of their times.