In
Hersbruck of Bavaria, Germany on December 5, 1532, a future co-author of the Formula of Concord and influential
hymnwriter named Nikolaus Selnecker entered the world of post-Augustana
Europe. His father, a protonarius (clerk
and notary public) to the magistrate at nearby Nurnberg, soon relocated the
family to the city in 1536.[1] There, father Selnecker took office as the
chief clerical administrator, forming acquaintance with Reformation-era figures
such as Philip Melanchthon, Veit Dietrich, and Emperor Charles V.[2]
At
the tender age of 12, his early organ skills were enlisted at the Kaiserburg
chapel. This affluence in the area of
church music would supplement his later post at Leipzig, establishing the choir
J.S. Bach would later direct, as well as his interest in supplying new hymns
for the church.[3] His “Gymnasium” education as a youth followed
the via moderna humanist tradition,
and despite his father’s intentions of legal study, his future path in theology
grew from the influence of his classes there.[4] Catherine Winkworth reports that King
Ferdinand of Spain along with his Italian confessor conspired to abduct the boy
for his “remarkable musical gifts and personal beauty,” but his father concealed
him in Wittenberg.[5] Her source is unconfirmed, and the tale may
be spurious.
Moving
to the university in Wittenberg did not come without its trials, but
Selnecker’s experience may have been extreme.
In 1549, en route to the school, a wandering man named Schlappenhauer
fired several serious shots at him, leaving him unable to walk for months, and
postponing his baccalaureate studies until the next year. This event unfortunately cast traumatic
effects over the rest of his life – he remained predisposed to illness and
psychological fear even being “secretly bothered by apparitions,”[6]
which certainly motivated many of his hymns. [7] He was known for being short-statured and
mild-mannered, thus predisposing him to accusations of being a “weather vane,”
and probably promoting his own personal feelings of insecurity in preaching and
writing.[8]
Following
his 1550 arrival at Wittenberg, Selnecker boarded at Melanchthon’s home,
replacing recent student David Chytraeus.[9] Reportedly, Philip Melanchthon esteemed
Selnecker the highest of all his students at the University of Wittenberg.[10] In a letter to the young man’s father, the
reformer and assistant of Martin Luther commented on the youth’s “genius,
modesty, and piety.”[11]
On
July 31, 1554, he graduated with an M.A., and following that taught at the
university with the title of privatdocent,
administering courses on biblical books, philosophy, rhetoric, and
(unsurprisingly) Melanchthon’s writings.
Assisting with his further education were Johann Bugenhagen, George
Major, and other reformers in the area.
His classes seemed quite well-sought – apparently 200 students attended
one of his lectures – and his mind was growing as an academic. Suddenly, the Elector of Saxony, August,
called him to be the third court chaplain at his Dresden court, upon
Melanchthon’s referral. Hesitantly, he
left the university with a farewell speech entitled “On Preferring Academic
Life to Life at the Court.”[12]
Later on, he was graced with the title of second court preacher at Dresden around 1558, also assuming the direction of the royal chapel’s boy choir. In addition, he tutored six-year-old Prince Alexander, heir apparent.[13] This situation prepared him in due time for family life – in 1559 he married the daughter of the superintendent, Margaretha Greiser.[14] What is more, his output of literature blossomed in all disciplines of religious study. Theodore Jungkuntz categorically lists Selnecker’s writings during this time:
Later on, he was graced with the title of second court preacher at Dresden around 1558, also assuming the direction of the royal chapel’s boy choir. In addition, he tutored six-year-old Prince Alexander, heir apparent.[13] This situation prepared him in due time for family life – in 1559 he married the daughter of the superintendent, Margaretha Greiser.[14] What is more, his output of literature blossomed in all disciplines of religious study. Theodore Jungkuntz categorically lists Selnecker’s writings during this time:
Philosophy – an epitome
of Aristotle’s Physics (1561)
O.T. Exegesis – Proverbs (1558); Psalms (1563)
N.T. Exegesis – Johannine Epistles (1561)
Church History – a catalog of the chief church councils from the time of the apostles to the present (1564)
Systematic Theology – a study on man’s fall and on the structure of human institutions (1560); two pamphlets on the Lord’s Supper (1561); a study on the providence of God (1564)
Practical Theology – a versified catechism (1562); a book on catechetical methodology (1564).[15]
O.T. Exegesis – Proverbs (1558); Psalms (1563)
N.T. Exegesis – Johannine Epistles (1561)
Church History – a catalog of the chief church councils from the time of the apostles to the present (1564)
Systematic Theology – a study on man’s fall and on the structure of human institutions (1560); two pamphlets on the Lord’s Supper (1561); a study on the providence of God (1564)
Practical Theology – a versified catechism (1562); a book on catechetical methodology (1564).[15]
Nevertheless, the theologians leaned toward a
Calvinist view of the sacrament, accepting that the presence of Christ’s body
and blood in the visible elements might additionally be understood in a
spiritual sense. Discerning the shift in
terminology, Selnecker opposed the movement, increasingly resigning himself
from the position. A consultation about
this doctrine held at Dresden revealed that he disproved reading Luther through
the eyes of Melanchthon.[16] Finally, the Neustadt pastor Martin Hoffman
openly vocalized against Elector August’s affinity for game hunting one Sunday
while Selnecker took ill. Grain fields
belonging to Hoffman’s mother had been damaged as a result of royal intrusion,
and the pastor seized this opportunity to defend the peasantry. After Selnecker recovered, he reiterated a
similar sentiment. “It is not fair to
take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs,” he quoted, threatening
that the dog-like nobility would face God’s condemnation if such violation kept
up. He appeared to evaluate his argument
not as infringement of the Fourth Commandment respect for God-given authority,
but the elector’s infringement upon the Seventh Commandment. Selnecker defended himself: “Every Christian ruler should daily consider
these two points – who has placed him in this high office…(and) why he has been
given such an office and position.”[17] Unsurprisingly, Hoffman was forced from his
post in 1564, and Selnecker was likewise asked to leave. [18]
On
March 15, 1565, Selnecker preached his last sermon there at Dresden, then commenced
work at the University of Jena 11 days later, dealing with a shift of power to
the Philippists.[19] However, when the Flacian theologians such
as Johannes Wigand returned to the faculty upon Duke Johann Wilhelm’s takeover,
Selnecker was once again released from his services, holding less-extreme views
than the Gnesio-Lutherans. [20]
Nevertheless,
a new venture at a location accepting Selnecker’s faith opened soon after. Elector August called him in 1568 to the
ministry at St. Thomas’ in Leipzig, as well as positions of superintendent of
the city and professor at its university. [21] Replacing Viktorin Strigel, a Philippist, he worked
on a Genesis commentary and lectured on Melanchthon’s Loci. Shortly thereafter,
Selnecker met his future colleague (and infamous source of anxiety) Jakob
Andreae, whom Duke Julius had called to reform his territory.[22]
Julius,
duke of Brunswick, took Selnecker from this parish once again to Wolfenbuettel,
where the latter served as a superintendent and court preacher. [23] In order to obtain this title, however, the
duke required a doctoral degree of him.[24] One of the events for himself and the other
candidates was a debate over the personal union and communication of attributes
in
Christology. Chemnitz and Andreae recognized this as false doctrine, so the duke requested that Selnecker act as an intermediary. He did come up with a document initiating peace between the opposing sides, but later this was invalidated. Upon the presentation of Chemnitz’s The Two Natures of Christ, it additionally took Selnecker a while to fully agree on the multivolipresence of Christ. Pressured to calm the doctrinal rumblings of both Philippists and Gnesio-Lutherans, Selnecker wrote to Elector August with nostalgia for Dresden. [25]
Christology. Chemnitz and Andreae recognized this as false doctrine, so the duke requested that Selnecker act as an intermediary. He did come up with a document initiating peace between the opposing sides, but later this was invalidated. Upon the presentation of Chemnitz’s The Two Natures of Christ, it additionally took Selnecker a while to fully agree on the multivolipresence of Christ. Pressured to calm the doctrinal rumblings of both Philippists and Gnesio-Lutherans, Selnecker wrote to Elector August with nostalgia for Dresden. [25]
During
this period, his official entrance into the controversy concerning the
sacramental presence occurred, as his doctoral promotion in Wittenberg
nonetheless. Professors such as moderate
Paul Eber and Philippist Caspar Peucer (Melanchthon’s son-in-law) raised the
question of the terms of Christ’s ubiquity, taking a classical view of spirit
and matter that finite material could not bear the infinite spiritual. For the 1570 ceremony honoring six doctoral
candidates,
130
theses were assembled, and Jakob Andreae pointed out the heresy of the 30th
thesis, which denied the omnipresence of Christ according to his human
nature. Duke Julius called on both
Selnecker and Andreae, likeminded in doctrine if not in temperance, to examine
the personal confession of the Wittenberg faculty, and after a written record
was established that they were found orthodox, the argument was laid to rest.[26] While
in Brunswick, he assisted in enforcing the Saxon Confession amongst the clergy,
moved to Gandersheim in 1572 when the Gnesio-Lutheran Timotheus Kirchner
relieved him of his stress, and penned a church order for Oldenberg-Jever. [27] Yet, not appearing as orthodox as other
pastors in the area, especially Martin Chemnitz, Selnecker again sought a
change of theological scenery, and returned to his same career under Elector
August at Leipzig in 1574.
During 1576, the Crypto-Calvinist
controversy involving the nature of the sacramental presence penetrated Leipzig
teaching, and Elector August realized that the Philippist doctrines Flacians
accused his land of upholding were erroneous, particularly the nature of the
Lord’s Supper. [28]
Selnecker plunged into a confessional response. [29] In
his sermons, he attempted to point out the coherence of Melanchthon’s beliefs
with Luther’s, proving that the Philippists could and should accept the same
teachings in order to understand their leader rightly. “To secure the Melanchthonian church for
Elector August in the wake of the Crypto-Philippist collapse, Selnecker was
anxious to show how Luther and Melanchthon had agreed throughout their careers…
(Selnecker) stated that Melanchthon referred to Luther as Father, Preceptor,
and
the
Elijah of the last times.”[30] However,
Selnecker often came across as overly irenic between the two parties, and a
change of attitude towards apologetics required outside influence, such as that
of Chemnitz and Andreae.
At
the preliminary convention at Lichtenberg, a city 20 miles northeast of
Dresden, he rallied the regional theologians to compose a public confession,
advising them to assemble the future writers of the Formula.[31] This contemporaneous prayer of his, typically
referring to the pure means of grace, reflects his thoughts:
In these last days of sore
distress
Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness
That pure we keep, till life is spent,
Thy holy Word and Sacrament.[32]
Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness
That pure we keep, till life is spent,
Thy holy Word and Sacrament.[32]
Over
the course of merely 10 days in May and June, Jakob Andreae led meetings to
compile the Torgau Book, with
Selnecker preaching for the festival service upon conclusion. Then, the elector distributed it throughout
the land to other rulers and theologians, receiving 25 Gutachen, or opinions regarding it.
He turned over the rest of this task to Chemnitz, Andreae, and Selnecker
for extensive revision, and later David Chytraeus, Christopher Koerner, and Andreas
Musculus joined them.[33] This grew into the Bergic Book, published May 1577.[34] Working together with Chemnitz, Chytraeus,
and Andreae, Selnecker helped to finalize the Formula of Concord, released July 22, 1577. Right away, however, it was severely
critiqued by both Philippists and Gnesio-Lutherans, effecting a natural polemic
defense from the authors.
Selnecker’s
“year of patience and sadness” 1579 soon gave way to a time of rest and stationary
church work in Leipzig. Quite likely, he
used this season to put down most of his hymns, and without a doubt his
strained relationship with Andreae provoked some of this grief. Earlier, in
diaries from 1576, Selnecker recorded Andreae’s opinions about the decision to
call Chemnitz and Chytraeus:
Chemnitz was supposedly devilish and
unfaithful and Chytraeus was nothing but a
philosopher and skeptic…Dr. Jakob would not permit my point to stand…finally he expressed himself that he
wished to speak with (Elector August) personally
and convince him that both Chemnitz and Chytraeus should best be left uninvited.
All this set me to thinking and
resulted in my becoming suspicious of Dr.
Jakob…[35]
Continuing
on, the offended Formula of Concord
co-author says of his colleague” “he
never kept his promise,”[36]
he complained that Selnecker had no “real understanding” and should be chained
or dismissed. At the end of the entries,
he airs some previously-stifled harsh language concerning Andreae, immediately
conceding that he wishes for it never to come to knowledge for the sake of
Christian duty toward his neighbor and government.[37]
As
one of many short examples of his intimidation, he expressed his tense emotions
in a letter to his benefactress Anna, Elector August’s wife:
…Dr. Jakob has
repeatedly issued threats against me as to how he intends to drive a wedge
between me and my gracious lord. Up
until now I’ve been inclined to let him make his attacks and let the Lord
Christ speak for me, something I still intend to do. ..O God, how this offense
hurts me, sapping all my strength and making me sick. But okay – may God settle it to His glory![38]
Selnecker might have felt defensive
toward Andreae because of his Gnesio-Lutheran background and especially strong
will to centralize church government, as in his hometown Wuerttemberg. Andreae seems to have been aware of this, and
did try to reconcile the awkwardness in his own manner, via a letter on New
Year’s Eve 1580.
I pray good God that He
grant you a right and true repentance and acknowledgement of this sin and that
He not reserve you this grave temptation for your deathbed hour but that He
preserve you from all evil…
This
only distanced Selnecker further from amiable relations with him. After this, they rarely spoke,[39]
and Jakob Andreae soon took leave of the region.[40]
During
this decade, roughly 1580-90, the greatest wealth of his literary contributions
came to light. The theologian and
musician once more restored the venerable St. Thomas boys’ choir, producing his
comprehensive Christliche
Psalmen, Lieder und Kirchengesange (1587)
of original service music for his parish.
Featured in this volume were six hymns teaching the chief parts of
Luther’s Small Catechism.[41] On top of that, he formulated and upheld a
standard plan for chief hymns throughout the Sundays of the church year,
explaining, “We here in Leipzig have long had a good Christian scheme for which
hymn is to be sung in church on every Sunday and festival, according to what
best fits that day’s Gospel, and this scheme has been kept up to this day.”[42] His plan may be summarized as follows:
Advent
|
Savior of the
Nations, Come; German Litany
|
Christmas
|
We Praise Thee Jesus at Thy Birth; Now Praise We Christ, the Holy One;
Thanks Let us Render (Sequence); From Heav’n Above to Earth I Come; From
Heav’n the Angel Troop Came Near; Why, Herod, Fearest Thou the Foe; Hail
the Day So Rich in Cheer
|
Epiphany 2 (if
Christ’s Baptism is preached)
|
To Jordan Came
The Christ, Our Lord
|
Candlemas
|
Lord, Now Lettest
Thou Thy Servant Depart In Peace; In Peace And Joy I Now Depart
|
Epiphany 5
|
In Peace And Joy
I Now Depart; O Lord, Look Down From Heav’n, Behold
|
Septuagesima
|
Salvation Unto Us
Has Come
|
Sexagesima
|
Our Father, Thou
In Heav’n Above
|
Estomihi
|
By Adam’s Fall Is
All Forlorn
|
Invocavit and all
Sundays in Lent
|
O Christ, Who Art
The Light and Day, German Litany
|
Palm Sunday
|
From Depths of
Woe before chanted St. Matthew Passion
|
Maundy Thursday
|
Jesus Christ, Our
Blessed Savior
|
Good Friday
|
Dear Christians,
One and All, Rejoice before chanted St. John Passion
|
Easter until
Rogate
|
This Is Such A
Holy Day; Christ Is Arisen From The Grave’s Dark Prison; Jesus Christ Our
Savior True, Who Death Overthrew
|
Rogate
|
Our Father, Thou
In Heav’n Above
|
Ascension
|
Dear Christians,
One And All, Rejoice; Christ Rose to Heaven
|
Exaudi
|
If God Had Not
Been On Our Side
|
Pentecost
|
We Now Implore
God the Holy Ghost; Come, Holy Ghost, God and Lord
|
Trinity
|
God the Father,
Be Our Stay; May God Bestow On Us His Grace
|
Trinity 1
|
May God Bestow On
Us His Grace; The Mouth of Fools God Doth Confess
|
Trinity 2
|
Lord, Hear The
Voice of My Complaint
|
Trinity 3
|
Have Mercy on Me,
Lord, My God; The Only Son from Heaven
|
Trinity 4
|
That Man a Godly
Life Might Live
|
Trinity 5
|
Were God Not With
Us At This Time; If God Had Not Been on Our Side
|
Trinity 6
|
Wilt Thou, O Man,
Live Happily; Salvation Unto Us Has Come
|
Trinity 7
|
My Soul, Now
Bless Thy Maker; My Soul Now Magnifies the Lord
|
Trinity 8
|
O Lord, Look down
from Heav’n, Behold
|
Trinity 9
|
The Mouth of
Fools Doth God Confess
|
Trinity 10
|
Beside the
Streams of Babylon
|
Trinity 11
|
In Thee Alone, O
Christ, My Lord; From Depths of Woe I Cry to Thee
|
Trinity 12
|
By Adam’s Fall Is
All Forlorn
|
Trinity 13
|
Salvation Unto Us
Has Come; That Man a Godly Life Might Live
|
Trinity 14
|
Have Mercy on Me,
Lord, my God; In Thee Alone, O Christ, My Lord
|
Trinity 15
|
A Mighty Fortress
Is Our God
|
Trinity 16
|
In the Midst of
Earthly Life; In Peace and Joy I Now Depart
|
Trinity 17
|
Dear Christians,
One and All, Rejoice
|
Trinity 18
|
The Only Son from
Heaven
|
Trinity 19
|
Lord, Hear The
Voice of My Complaint; My Soul, Now Bless Thy Maker
|
Trinity 20
|
O Lord, Look Down
from Heav’n, Behold
|
Trinity 21
|
Salvation Unto Us
Has Come; May God Bestow on Us His Grace
|
Trinity 22
|
Have Mercy on Me,
Lord, my God; From Depths of Woe I Cry to thee
|
Trinity 23
|
The Mouth of
Fools Doth God Confess
|
Trinity 24
|
In Peace and Joy
I Now Depart
|
Trinity 25
|
God the Father,
Be Our Stay
|
Trinity 26
|
Our Father, Thou
In Heav’n Above
|
Trinity 27
|
Dear Christians,
One and All, Rejoice; A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
|
Annunciation
|
The Only Son from
Heaven
|
Conversion of St.
Paul
|
Have Mercy on Me,
Lord, my God
|
Feasts of Apostles
|
Lord God, We Sing
Thy Praise
|
John the Baptist
|
To Jordan Came
Our Lord, the Christ
|
Visitation
|
My Soul Now
Magnifies the Lord
|
St. Michael
|
Lord God, We All
to Thee Give Praise; My Soul, Now Bless Thy Maker
|
All
in all, Selnecker penned roughly 150 hymns and about 175 theological writings
of every kind, from exegesis per biblical book to systematic textbooks to
polemic pamphlets.[43]
(See Appendix.)
Nevertheless,
this output would again be disrupted by the changing theological winds. A 1591 shift in power to Dr. Nikolaus Crell,
Elector Christian I’s chancellor, saw the removal of orthodox Lutherans in the
district in favor of Philippists. In
fact, the succeeding court preacher Salmuth distributed a Bible integrating
Calvinist study notes, prompting Selnecker to necessarily rebuke him by way of
a polemic pamphlet. Taking this risk
only deposed him of his office once more, and after continued opining through
publications, the authorities requested him to stop.[44]
After
passing a while in Halle and Magdeburg, he quickly assumed superintendence at Hildesheim. Over this period, he left to settle a dispute
at Augsburg, but contracted a serious illness and returned gravely ill to his
new residency. The religious atmosphere
inclined towards true Lutheranism as consequence of the elector’s death, and
his widow both dismissed the troublesome chancellor and reinstated the former
staff. Considering this to be his sixth
call, he stated:
The seventh call will make me then
In yonder life a citizen.[45]
In yonder life a citizen.[45]
Eagerly,
he readied to leave despite his infirmity, but died May 24, 1592, merely five
days after arriving in Leipzig for the last time.[46] Jungkuntz describes,
At hand to comfort this reluctant “soldier” of the cross
were theologians Hunnius, Mirus,
and Mylius. They asked him: “Are you ready to die on the basis of the doctrine which for so many years you
have joyfully confessed?” He bowed his head deeply and answered the question
with a broken but a joyful “Yes.”
As
a homiletician, Selnecker’s sermons exemplify adherence to Luther’s lens of
doctrine, as well as a personal, applicable approach to the text. He himself exclaimed that he did not have the
time to write down his sermons, but students and arts colleagues transcribed an
anthology of 170 homilies. These
meditations on lessons outside the pericopes also were a popular form of
devotional literature.[47] From these, we can gather many characteristics of his preaching style. On such occasions, he made clear the power of death over God’s creation, thus treating the deceased with honor and respect as something Christ has redeemed. Additionally, he did not advocate a denial of grief, but emphasized godly sorrow in Christian love for the departed, accompanied by comfort.
devotional literature.[47] From these, we can gather many characteristics of his preaching style. On such occasions, he made clear the power of death over God’s creation, thus treating the deceased with honor and respect as something Christ has redeemed. Additionally, he did not advocate a denial of grief, but emphasized godly sorrow in Christian love for the departed, accompanied by comfort.
Usually,
Lutheran pastors of the Reformation era, including Selnecker, either took a
didactic and exegetical view of the text, or centered the sermon on the themes
of godly sorrow, repentance, sanctified life, and most of all comfort.[48] The means of grace – Word, Holy Baptism, and
the Lord’s Supper – held a prominent place in his vocabulary of imagery and
themes. Supporting his true, Scriptural
view of Holy Communion, he declared:
Oh, how rich a blessing comes from
using the holy sacraments! They seal and
strengthen us in the faith, and as
surely the words say “Given for you” and “Shed for
you,” so surely do they testify to and confirm our salvation.[49]
Evidently,
he took care to acquaint himself intimately with his flock – frequently, he
would comfort the congregation attending a funeral based on an illustration
from the deceased parishioners’ life.
For example: Aegidius Becker, a
student in God’s Word, was now finishing his theological education in heaven.[50] An engaged young woman, Miss Schwartz, was
now clothed in the “gown of salvation and the robe of righteousness.”[51] In these and many other instances, Selnecker
based the overarching theme of comfort on the biblical promises concerning the
resurrection and the “Joyful Exchange.”
Overall, contemporaries of Selnecker
may have labeled him a “weather vane,” easily blown by theological trends, but
by the end of his life that caricature no longer applies. In the development of the Formula of Concord
as well as his evident departures from difficult work situations, he evidently
opted in favor of orthodox Lutheranism. In
keeping with that, Lutherans accept his homiletical, exegetical, and hymnic
works as sound and beneficial. May
Christians today remember the faithful fruits of Nikolaus Selnecker, and thank
God for his furtherance of the Lutheran Reformation. As he himself illustrated,
The man who trusts in Him is blest
And finds in Him eternal rest;
This world's allurements we despise
And fix on Christ alone our eyes.
Alleluia![52]
And finds in Him eternal rest;
This world's allurements we despise
And fix on Christ alone our eyes.
Alleluia![52]
Appendix
Selnecker’s Published Works and Hymns Translated into English
Published Works
Epitome in libros octo Physicorum
Aristoteles, 1560
Argumenta et annotiones in librum sapientiae Salomonis, 1561
Catalogus praecipuorum Conciliorum Oecumeniorum et Nationalum a tempore Apostolorum usque ad nostra tempora, 1561 and 1571
Epistula prima St. Johannae, 1561/62
Theophania sive Comoedia de primorum parentum conditione et ordinum sive graduum in genere humano institutione, 1562
Libellus brevis et utilis de coena domini, 1562
Vera et invicta doctrina de coena contra sacramentarios, 1562-63;
50 Psalmen des königlichen Propheten David ausgelegt, 1563
Capita doctrinae christianae quam Catechismum nominamus, versibus reddita, ca 1563;
Der ganze Psalter des königlichen Propheten David ausgelegt, 1565-66
Pädagogia christiana, 1566, 15672, 15713, 15774, dt. 1569, 15702
Bericht, wie sich ein Christ in Sterbensläufen trösten und halten soll, 1566;
Tröstliche Sprüche und Grabschriften aus der heiligen Schrift, 1567;
Posodia, 1568
Commentar in Genesim, 1569
Psalter Davids mit kurzen Summarien und Gebetlein, 1572
Institutio religionis christianae continens explicationem locorum theologicorum, 1573, 1579
Historia Lutheri, 1575, dt. 1578
Commentarius in omnes Pauli epp., 1578
Commentarius in harmoniam evang., 1578;
Noatio de studio theologiae, 1579; Colloquia oder Tischreden M. Luthers, 1580
Jungfrauenspiegel und von Notwendigkeit wahrhafter Kirchenzucht, 1580
Examen ordinanorum aut Forma explicationis examinis ordinandorum, olim scripti a Ph. Melanchthone, instituta et accommodata ad veram confessionem, 1582, 1584 und 1592
Operum lat. partes IV, 1584-93
Christliche Psalmen, Lieder und Kirchengesänge, 1587
Ehe und Regentenspiegel, 1589
Trostsprache für Christen, 1594[53]
Argumenta et annotiones in librum sapientiae Salomonis, 1561
Catalogus praecipuorum Conciliorum Oecumeniorum et Nationalum a tempore Apostolorum usque ad nostra tempora, 1561 and 1571
Epistula prima St. Johannae, 1561/62
Theophania sive Comoedia de primorum parentum conditione et ordinum sive graduum in genere humano institutione, 1562
Libellus brevis et utilis de coena domini, 1562
Vera et invicta doctrina de coena contra sacramentarios, 1562-63;
50 Psalmen des königlichen Propheten David ausgelegt, 1563
Capita doctrinae christianae quam Catechismum nominamus, versibus reddita, ca 1563;
Der ganze Psalter des königlichen Propheten David ausgelegt, 1565-66
Pädagogia christiana, 1566, 15672, 15713, 15774, dt. 1569, 15702
Bericht, wie sich ein Christ in Sterbensläufen trösten und halten soll, 1566;
Tröstliche Sprüche und Grabschriften aus der heiligen Schrift, 1567;
Posodia, 1568
Commentar in Genesim, 1569
Psalter Davids mit kurzen Summarien und Gebetlein, 1572
Institutio religionis christianae continens explicationem locorum theologicorum, 1573, 1579
Historia Lutheri, 1575, dt. 1578
Commentarius in omnes Pauli epp., 1578
Commentarius in harmoniam evang., 1578;
Noatio de studio theologiae, 1579; Colloquia oder Tischreden M. Luthers, 1580
Jungfrauenspiegel und von Notwendigkeit wahrhafter Kirchenzucht, 1580
Examen ordinanorum aut Forma explicationis examinis ordinandorum, olim scripti a Ph. Melanchthone, instituta et accommodata ad veram confessionem, 1582, 1584 und 1592
Operum lat. partes IV, 1584-93
Christliche Psalmen, Lieder und Kirchengesänge, 1587
Ehe und Regentenspiegel, 1589
Trostsprache für Christen, 1594[53]
Hymns Translated into English
Supplementary to
his ministry, Selnecker composed Christian poetry as well. Christopher Boyd Brown mentions that he
“wrote hymns and edited hymnals for a popular market,” active still in his last
tenure at Leipzig.[54] The Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary (1996)
contains the largest number of translations of his texts; other modern hymnals
bear the same with slight alterations.
“Now Christ, the Sinless Son of
God” (ELH 248) from Christus, der wahre
Gottes Sohn
“Let Me Be Thine Forever” (v. 1) (ELH 427) from Lass mich dein sein und bleiben
“Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide” (ELH 511) from Ach bleib bei uns
“O Faithful God, Thanks Be To Thee” (ELH 522) from Wir danken dir, O Jesu Christ
“O Lord My God, I Cry To Thee” (ELH 573) from O Herre Gott, in meiner Not
“We Thank Thee, Jesus, Dearest Friend” (ELH 394)
“Let Me Be Thine Forever” (v. 1) (ELH 427) from Lass mich dein sein und bleiben
“Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide” (ELH 511) from Ach bleib bei uns
“O Faithful God, Thanks Be To Thee” (ELH 522) from Wir danken dir, O Jesu Christ
“O Lord My God, I Cry To Thee” (ELH 573) from O Herre Gott, in meiner Not
“We Thank Thee, Jesus, Dearest Friend” (ELH 394)
Works Cited:
Brown, Christopher Boyd. Singing the Gospel: Lutheran Hymns and the Success of the Reformation. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2005. 8.
Carver, Matthew. “The ‘Burr’-Quote: Selnecker’s Funeral Sermon for Catherine of Mecklenberg.” Lutheran Orthodoxy. Posted 17 Oct 2011. Accessed 28 Mar 2015. http://lutheranorthodoxy.blogspot.com/2011/10/burr-quote-selneckers-funeral- sermon.html
--. “Nicolaus Selnecker: a Scheme for Chief Hymns.” Lutheran Orthodoxy. Posted. 7 Feb 2012. Accessed 28 Mar
2015. http://lutheranorthodoxy.blogspot.com/search/label/ Nicolaus%20Selnecker
De.wikipedia.org. “Nikolaus
Selnecker.” Wikipedia Deutsch. Accessed 28 Mar 2015. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaus_Selnecker#Literatur_2
Hauck, Albert, ed. The New
Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. Google Books.
Accessed 28 Mar 2015.
https://books.google.com/ books?id=TZ1AAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA346&dq=selnecker+thomaskirche&hl=en&sa=X &ei=
Julian, John. “Selnecker, Nicolaus.” A
Dictionary of Hymnology. New
York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1892.
Jungkuntz, Theodore R. Formulators
of the Formula of Concord. St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1977.
Klug, Eugene F.A. and Otto F.
Stahlke. Getting Into the Formula of Concord. St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing
House, 1977.
Kolb, Robert. “Historical Background of the Formula of
Concord.” A Contemporary Look At The
Formula of Concord. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1978.
--. “Pastoral Practice in the Funeral Sermons of
Nikolaus Selnecker (1530-1592).” Lutheran
Quarterly. XXVIII: 2014.
Kolb, Robert, Irene Dingel, and
L’ubomir Batka, ed. The Oxford Handbook of Martin Luther’s Theology. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 2014.
Lueker, Erwin Louis. “Selnecker, Nicolaus.” Lutheran
Cyclopedia. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing
House, 1954.
Oron, Aryeh. “Nicolaus Selnecker (Hymn-Writer, Composer).” Bach Cantatas Website. Posted May
2003. Accessed 19 Mar 2015. http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Selnecker.htm
Polack, W.G. The
Handbook to the Lutheran Hymnal. St.
Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1958.
Winkworth, Catherine. “Nicholas Selnecker.” Christian
Singers of Germany. Google
Books. Accessed
30 March 2015. https://books.google.com/
books?id=A14XAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA148&dq=christian+singers+of+germany+selnecke r&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bJwaVf_AOYO7ogTDiYLIAw&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepag e&q=christian%20singers%20of%20germany%20selnecker&f=false. .
Worship Committee of the
Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary. St. Louis: MorningStar Publishers, 1996.
[1]
Aryeh Oron, “Nicolaus Selnecker (Hymn-Writer, Composer.” Bach Cantatas Website. May 2003.
Accessed 19 Mar 2015. http://www.bach-cantatas.com/Lib/Selnecker.htm
[2]Theodore
R. Jungkuntz, Formulators of the Formula of Concord. St. Louis:
Concordia Publishing House, 1977.
90.
[3]Julian,
John. “Selnecker, Nicolaus.” A Dictionary
of Hymnology. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1892.
1039.
[4]
Jungkuntz, 90.
[5]
Winkworth, Catherine. “Nicholas
Selnecker.” Christian Singers of Germany.
Google Books. Accessed 30 March 2015.
https://books.google.com/
books?id=A14XAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA148&dq=christian+singers+of+germany+selnecker&hl=en&sa=X&ei=bJw aVf_AOYO7ogTDiYLIAw&ved=0CCwQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=christian%20singers%20of%20germany%20 selnecker&f=false. 151.
[6]
Jungkuntz, 108.
[7] Ibid.,
90.
[8]
Ibid., 108.
[9]
Jungkuntz, 90.
[10]
Julian, 1039.
[11]
Jungkuntz, 90.
[12] Ibid.,
91.
[13]Ibid.,
91.
[14]Ibid.,
91.
[15]
Jungkuntz, 92.
[16]
Ibid., 95.
[17]
Ibid., 94.
[18]
Julian, 1039.
[19]
Jungkuntz, 96.
[20]
Julian, 1039.
[21]
Ibid., 1039.
[22]
Jungkuntz, 96.
[23]
Julian, 1039.
[24]
Jungkuntz, 96.
[25]
Ibid., 97.
[26]
Kolb, A Contemporary Look,
48-49.
[27]
Julian, 1039.
[28]
Jungkuntz, 99.
[29]
Julian,1039.
[30]
Kolb, et. al. The Oxford Handbook of
Martin Luther’s Theology,
Oxford: Oxford University Press,
2014. 530.
[31]
Jungkuntz, 99-100.
[32]
Worship Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Evangelical
Lutheran Hymnary. St. Louis: MorningStar Publishers, 1996. 511:2.
[33]
Klug, 21-22.
[34]Jungkuntz,
101.
[35]
Ibid., 146-7
[36]
Ibid., 147
[37]
Ibid., 153-4.
[38]
Ibid., 101.
[39]
Ibid., 101.
[40] Albert
Hauck, ed. The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge. Google Books. Accessed 28 Mar
2015. https://books.google.com/ books?id=TZ1AAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA346&dq=selnecker+thomaskirche&hl=en&sa=X&ei=
[41] Hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com,
“Early German Lutheran and Reformation Hymnals.” Hymns and Carols of Christmas. par 26. Accessed 30 Mar 2015. Par 26.
[42]
Matthew Carver, “Nicolaus
Selnecker: a Scheme for Chief
Hymns.” Lutheran Orthodoxy. Posted. 7 Feb 2012. Accessed
28 Mar 2015. http://lutheranorthodoxy.blogspot.com/search/label/ Nicolaus%20Selnecker
[43]
W.G. Polack, The Handbook to the Lutheran
Hymnal. St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1958. 579.
[44]
Julian, 1039.
[45]
Jungkuntz, 105.
[46]
Julian, 1039.
[47]
Robert Kolb, “Pastoral Practice in the Funeral Sermons of Nikolaus Selnecker
(1530-1592).” Lutheran Quarterly. XXVIII: 2014.
24.
[48]
Ibid.,27.
[49]
Jungkuntz, 106.
[50]
Kolb, “Pastoral Practice…,” 30.
[51]
Ibid., 37.
[52] Worship
Committee of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary. St. Louis: MorningStar Publishers, 1996. 394:3.
[53]
De.wikipedia.org. “Nikolaus Selnecker.”
Wikipedia Deutsch. Accessed 28
Mar 2015. http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikolaus_Selnecker#Literatur_2
[54]
Christopher Boyd Brown, Singing the
Gospel: Lutheran Hymns and the Success
of the Reformation. Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press, 2005. 8.
Copyright 2015 by herandhymn.
