Brenz, Johannes

Brenz, Johannes

(yōhän`əs brĕnz), c.1522–67, German Protestant reformer. After coming under the influence of Johannes OecolampadiusOecolampadius, Johannes
, 1482–1531, German Protestant reformer, associate of Huldreich Zwingli in the Reformation in Switzerland. He was in 1516 a preacher at Basel, where he worked with Erasmus on his New Testament.
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 and Martin LutherLuther, Martin,
1483–1546, German leader of the Protestant Reformation, b. Eisleben, Saxony, of a family of small, but free, landholders. Early Life and Spiritual Crisis

Luther was educated at the cathedral school at Eisenach and at the Univ.
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, Brenz stopped celebrating Mass (1523) and gave himself over to biblical exposition. He defended Luther's doctrine of the real presence of Jesus during the sacramentarian controversy (1525) in his Syngramma Suevicum. During the Schmalkaldic War (see Schmalkaldic LeagueSchmalkaldic League
, alliance formed in 1531 at Schmalkalden by Protestant princes and delegates of free cities. It was created in response to the threat (1530) by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to stamp out Lutheranism.
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) he sought protection under Duke Ulrich of Württemberg, and became the leader of the Reformation in Württemberg.