The Schwenkfelders received their name from the reformer-nobleman Casper Schwenckfeld (1489-1561). He was a man who attracted both the rich and poor in his campaign for the true expression of the apostolic Word, but was often times misunderstood by his contemporaries. The influence Schwenkfeld held on the well-to-do burghers and noblemen of Swabia and Augsburg superseded any other sectarian group in the 16th century. His followers included Wolfgang Thalhauser and Samuel Eisenmenger, both doctors of medicine at Tubingen. We also find followers of Schwenkfeld at the court of King Ferdinand.
Schwenkfeld, who influenced many of the secular and ecclesiastical reforms in Silesia, was a nobleman and advisor to Duke Friedrich II of Liegnitz. He was brought into the reformation awakening by reading Luther, and re-examining the Scriptures and Church Fathers. A deep conviction to examine the Biblical text brought him a new understanding which he began to teach to others. His secular reforms brought attention to and upgraded the living standards of the peasants in Silesia and spared the territory from the bitterness of the peasant war of 1524-1525.
Schwenkfeld was more a lay preacher than a trained theologian. However, Schwenkfeld wrote many articles and books on theological issues and was university trained in the humanities. He had knowledge of Greek and Latin which helped with his understanding of the Scriptures. Armed with a desire to more fully understand the meaning of scripture he was questioning and practices of the current church. He always felt that he was a member of the Universal or “invisible” Christian Church, which now for a time was outwardly scattered. The view point of a remnant being scattered about the world as being the true testimony of the Spirit of Christ was evident in this writings. His prayer was that God would gather his people giving them one heart, soul and spirit to his glory. He was not in accord of boasting in starting a church of his own, but he did believe that a person needed to be born again from the Spirit as a personal experience to understand the saving qualities of God. He centered his focus on Jesus Christ as the true Word of God and all throughout his life he did not alter his understanding of regeneration as an inward, spiritual action of the fellowship of believers which endures. Schwenkfeld affirmed that Jesus Christ, the true God-Man, was transforming the center of man and the Christian Church (visible or invisible) is a holy church, because she has been cleansed by the blood of the Son of God, Jesus Christ.
Due to the mandate issued from King Ferdinand against Duke Friedrich II of Liegnitz, Schwenkfeld decided not to cause any embarrassment to his beloved Duke and went into voluntary exile in 1529. He did manage to obtain a passport for safe travel anywhere in the Empire of Charles V from either his friend Duke Friedrich or Duke Karl I. Financial arrangements were sit up from his estate to receive income which met his expenses and helped him to print his many works.
Schwenkfeld’s viewpoints set him apart form many of the other reformers of the day. He spoke of the need for genuine spiritual renewal to take place in the individual and pleaded for a clear understanding of the sacraments. Throughout this time he engaged in numerous theological controversies but, as was his style, never disparaged or vilified his adversaries personally, as was true of so many theologians of his age. The style of his writings, which have been preserved at the Schwenkfelder Library, shows a man who surpasses most of the German writers of his time in elegance and beauty of style. These characteristics can most likely be attributed to his courtly training but it also reflected his attitude toward the Christian life. For him it was a Christian lifestyle which was emanating in every aspect of ones life as a Christian and not just a show or for special occasions.
Due to the many religious issues that were present at the time of Schwenkfeld it may become confusing to follow the train of thoughts of each group or individuals. Baptism was a major issue of the time. Infant or adult baptism became a problem with some groups as they viewed a personal commitment to Jesus Christ as a decision which they wanted to follow. The problem arises from an issue of personal choice. Choices of religious importance and spiritual consequence made as an infant cannot be one made with reason or of ones own choosing. Water baptism has no saving qualities in of itself but the need to show a religious decision was so strong with some groups of the day that to be re-baptised was thought of as necessity. Anabaptist groups were forming all over Europe with this central theme coming as a way to distinguish their group from the rest. However, Schwenkfeld never contended the need for a physical re-baptism. Rather, he taught that an inner conviction was the essential issue and said that his own personal infant baptism was sufficient. The interesting characteristic that arises from this whole issue is that Schwenkfeld did not prohibit others from being re-baptised. If they so wanted the experience and to show the community of their desire to make a public profession of their faith in so doing it would not be wrong in letting this happen . Unlike many of this contemporaries he saw value with accepting either side of the baptism issue as valid but the important part was the power of change in the individual as a result of a personal commitment to Jesus Christ.
In his period of exile, from 1529 to his death in 1561, he journeyed mostly in Central Europe. He attracted crowds of people to the dismay of many local church leaders and established small group conventicles in the homes of many of the believers. He wrote volumes of theological books and letters while in exile and they were printed. The printing press allowed a wider readership and his notoriety became enhanced as many of his writings found their way into many libraries. A large collection of his writings was held in the University of Uppsula in Sweden, the origin of his writings at Bibliothea Lindespiana in Wigan, England, still needs to be explained and many works were found in German Libraries.
Traveling to Strassburg Schwenkfeld stayed with Wolfgang Capito for three and one half years. Martin Butzer, a religious figure of the day, was involved with him while he was there and Butzer observed how Schwenkfelder’s conventicle meetings operated. Butzer was involved with another big religious issue of the day that being the Eucharist or Lord’s Supper. Schwenkfeld also had a track record on this issue and viewed the Supper as a remembrance of the sacrifice that Jesus made for all of mankind and the elements of the bread and wine as just symbols of this remembrance. No mystical powers or any changes occurred in the elements nor did they posses any redeeming value for the individual on its own merit. Again the source for any religious symbols emanated from a regenerated spirit in the acceptance of the work of God through the sacrifice of His Son on the Cross. The inward regeneration of the individual upon a free choice of accepting the call to repentance and declaring ones intention to follow Jesus was the central point of the Eucharist. At this time in history it was not popular to hold such a view of the Lord’s Supper.
The German reformer Martin Butzer during the time Schwenkfeld was in Strassburg was involved with working out a compromise on the Lord’s Supper in Strassburg. Protestant reformer Martin Luther had the view of the Lord’s Supper which held that the elements held a power of itself. The Catholic Church was involved in maintaining the dogma of transubstantiation sanctioned by the Fourth Lateran Council of 1215 which held that the Eucharist has changed elements with great power to be dispensed as the true body and blood of Jesus Christ. Other groups held the importance of symbols and allowed a spiritual interpretation of the Lord’s Supper. Needless to say by having Schwenkfeld in Strassburg did keep the issue of the Lord’s Supper boiling among the various groups because he held a view different from the Lutheran and Catholics. Threatened by Schwenkfeld views Butzer became the central figure in Schwenkfeld’s final city council order to leave the city. But Schwenkfeld left behind a following which lasted for over a century in the Strassburg-Landau-speyer-Rappalstsiler area. Butzer himself finally was forced to leave Strassburg in 1549 and left for England. Schwenkfeld’s influence spread to England and Sweden during this time, but the Thirty Years War (1618 - 1648) greatly reduced the Schwenkfeld communities.
 Schwenkfelders Who are they? |  Schwenkfelders Living in Europe |  Schwenkfelders In the Colonies |  Casper Schwenckfeld |  WIEGNER More to See |
Schwenkfelders Struggle in Europe by Douglas Wiegner