RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Weihbischof Weiss
Kirchengeschichte (Berlin, 1870; 6th ed. completely recast and brought down to date by Carl Franklin Arnold, Leipsic, 1905—[the standard work of its kind in German]). His later works will not have the permanence of his earlier productions, nor do they merit it, for instance, his Ursprung des Ménchthums im nachconstantinischen Zeitalter (Gotha, 1877) being superseded by the studies of Bornemann, Harnack, Griitzmacher, and others. He was the editor also of Richard Rothe’s Vorlesungen tiber Kirchengeschichte. His lectures would probably richly repay printing, his knowledge of English and French, his sententious diction, and his clearness of treatment giving him eminence as a writer and lecturer. (F. ARNOLD.)
WEISMANN, CHRISTIAN EBERHARD: German Lutheran; b. at Hirschau (20 m. w. of Stuttgart), Wirttemberg, Sept. 2, 1677; d. at Tiibingen May 26, 1747. He was educated at Tibingen, and was then deacon at Calw (1701-04), court chaplain at Stuttgart (1704-07), and teacher of church history and philosophy in the gymnasium of the same city (1707-21), until in 1721 he was called to Tiibingen as professor of theology, being also provost of St. George’s after 1729. He had a marked tendency toward pietism, and an equal hostility toward the Collegialism (q.v.) of C. M. Pfaff (q.v.) and the philosophy of G. W. Leibnitz and Christian Wolff (qq.v.). He was a distinguished preacher, and the author of some hymns much admired at the time. His principal works were Introductio in memorabilia ecclesiastica historie sacre Novi Testamenti, maxime vero seculorum primorum et novissimorum (2 vols., Stuttgart, 1718— 1719); Orationes academice de causis cur tot eximia Dei dona, nostra maxime etate, ut plurimum sine fructu pereant (Titbingen, 1729); and Institutiones theologice exegetico-dogmatice (1739).
BIBLIOGRAPHY: J. Brucker, Bildersaal heutigen Tages lebender Schriftssteller, Augsburg, 1741; K. Kliipfel, Geschichte der Universitdt Tiibingen, pp. 150 sqq., Tiibingen 1849; C. Weizsicker, Festprogramm zur 4. Sdkularfeier der Universitdt Tibingen, ib. 1877.
WEISS, vais, ADAM: German Reformer; b. at Crailsheim (48 m. n.e. of Stuttgart) about 1490; d. there Sept. 25, 1534. He came of a distinguished family, and was named after a relative who was canon at Ansbach; he was educated at Mainz, and taught there 1512-21; he was enthusiastic in defense of Humanism, and combined with this in his teaching work lectures on Genesis and on the “ Sentences” of Peter Lombard. At the end of 1521 he was called to the pastorate of Crailsheim, which work he undertook in an Evangelical spirit, introducing a new church order. He was in correspondence with Zwingli, whose advice he sought, and soon won influence in the margravate of Brandenburg; and though he was not the clerical superior, he was regarded as the real leader in his district. While the Reformation was making headway in the region, the wife of the Margrave Casimir was strongly Roman Catholic, so that there was a reactionary tendency against which progress was to be made. Weiss worked in accord with Johann Rurer of Ansbach; and though the latter was compelled to leave his work and flee, so strongly was the tide flowing
against reform, Weiss determined to stay at his post, where he was enabled to continue his work.
After the death of Casimir, Sept. 21, 1527, Weiss stimulated the new ruler, Georg, to order a thoroughgoing carrying out of the Reformation, and was directed to perfect measures to that end, in company with Johann Schopper of Heilsbronn and Andreas Althamer (q.v.) of Ansbach. The next year he made attempts at a documentary foundation upon which to build the work of the Reformation and contributed the preliminary formulation to one of the earliest confessional statements of the period. Weiss acted as superintendent. In 1529 he accompanied the Margrave Georg to the Diet of Speyer as chaplain and councilor, and his work there was so appreciated that the margrave took him, with Brenz, Rurer, and others, to the Diet of Augsburg in 1530, where his advice was sought on the weightiest matters; he also preached there and won the regard even of the most influential Roman Catholic theologians.
In carrying out Reformation principles, Weiss was influential beyond the boundaries of the margravate of Brandenburg-Ansbach. He supported Johann Brenz of Hall (q.v.) from 1523 onward, and Hall itself sent for his advice in regard to important matters. He was in close relations also with Erhard Schnepf, Theobald Billican, Kaspar Loner (qq.v.), and with Leonhard Culmann, the poet and teacher of Nuremberg; in September of 1524 Johannes Poliander (q.v.) sought his friendship and intimacy. Carlstadt tried to win him over, in 1525, but failed. Weiss’ early tendency was rather in the direction of Zwinglian teaching, but in the matter of the Lord’s Supper he took wholly the side of Luther, whom he highly honored. Indeed, he regarded Luther’s writings as a great treasury, while Luther wrote to the margrave, May 21, 1527, extolling the worth of Weiss and Rurer. Weiss was a prophet honored in his own country, and one of his abiding labors was the foundation of the church library.
(G. BossERrtT.)
BisitioGrapHy: G. Veesenmeyer, Kleine Beitriige zur Geschichte des Reichstags zu Augsburg, 1530, pp. 116 saq., Nuremberg, 1830; Acta in Comitiis Augustanis quedam, in K. H. Foérstemann, Urkundenbuch zur Geschichte des Reichstags in Augsburg, Halle, 1833-35; J. Hartmann and C. Jiger, Johann Brenz, 2 vols., Hamburg, 1840-42; G. Bossert, in Schwébischer Merkur, 1879, no. 153; Theologische Studien aus Wiirttemberg, 1880, pp. 190 saq., 1882, pp. 183, 314 sqq., 1883, pp. 30 sqq., 1885, pp. 1 sqq.; H. Westermeyer, Die brandenburgisch-niirnbergische Kirchenvisitation . . . 1628-33, Erlangen, 1894; Beitrage zur bayerischen Kirchengeschichte, v. 226 saq., vii. 32 sqq., 241 sqq., Erlangen, 1898-1900; K. Schornbaum, Die Stellung des Markgrafen Kasimir von Brandenburg zur reformatorischen Bewegung ... 1624-27, Nuremberg, 1900; idem, Zur Politik des Markgrafen Georg von Brandenburg . . . 1828-32, Munich, 1906; T. Kolde, Andreas Althamer, Erlangen, 1895; ADB, xli. 554.
WEISS, CARL PHILIPP BERNHARD: German Protestant; b. at Kénigsberg June 20, 1827. He was educated at the universities of Kénigsberg, Halle, and Berlin (1844-48); became privat-docent at the university of his native city (1852); associate professor (1857); and was divisional pastor there (1861-63); was professor of New-Testament exegesis at Kiel (1863-77), being also a member of the Kiel consistory (1874-77); since 1877 he has been
Weiss Wells