{{Short description|Lutheran theologian (1612–1686)}} thumb|Abraham Calovius '''Abraham Calovius''' (also '''Abraham Calov''' or '''Abraham Kalau'''; 16 April 1612{{snd}}25 February 1686) was a Lutheran theologian, and was one of the champions of Lutheran orthodoxy in the 17th century.<ref name=CCELAC>{{cite web |url= https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc02/encyc02.html?term=Calovius%20(Kalau),%20Abraham |title= Calovius (Kalau), Abraham |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website= Christian Classics Ethereal Library |publisher= |access-date= 22 January 2026 |quote=}}</ref>

==Biography==

thumb|left|Title page of the Calov Bible, with Bach's signature in the bottom right hand corner. He was born in Mohrungen (Morąg), Ducal Prussia, a fief of Crown of Poland. After studying at Königsberg, in 1650 he was appointed professor of theology at Wittenberg, where he afterwards became general superintendent and primarius.<ref name="EB1911">{{EB1911|inline=1|wstitle=Calovius, Abraham|volume=5|page=68}}</ref> He lived in Wittenberg for the rest of his life.<ref name=CCELAC />

===Theology===

Calovius opposed the Catholics, Calvinists and Socinians, and in particular attacked the syncretism of his bitter enemy, George Calixtus.<ref name="EB1911"/> While Calixtus affirmed that the Apostles' Creed was an adequate definition of faith, Calovius rather held that one must believe every part of revealed truth in order to gain salvation. This led Calovius to deny as a heresy the idea that Roman Catholics or Calvinists could be partakers of salvation.

===Writings===

As a writer of polemics Calovius had few equals. His chief dogmatic work, ''Systema locorum theologicorum,'' (12 volumes, 1655–1677) represents the climax of Lutheran scholasticism. He produced a popular commentary on Martin Luther's translation of the Bible, "Die deutsche Bibel," today known as the Calov Bible.<ref name=UW /> He also wrote a much larger professional exegetical work on the entire Bible called "Biblia Illustrata". It is written from the point of view of a very strict belief in inspiration, his object being to refute the statements made by Hugo Grotius in his ''Commentaries.''<ref name="EB1911"/>

====Works (selection)====

* ''Tractatus Novus De Methodo Docendi & Disputandi'', 1632. * ''Metaphysica divina.'' Rostock, Hallervord, 1640. * ''Scripta philosophica.'' Lübeck, Wilden, 1651. * ''Systematis locorum theologicorum.'' :"Système de prémisses théologiques issues des écrits les plus sacrés de l'Antiquité :" Wittenberg 1655–1677 (12 volumes). * ''Bergius senior autokatakritos gemino tractatu ... palam demonstratus'', Wittenberg, 1658 <ref name=PRDL>[http://www.prdl.org/author_view.php?a_id=541 Abraham Calov (1612-1686) Post-Reformation Digital Library ]</ref> * ''Biblia illustrata.'' Frankfurt am Main 1672–1676 and 1719 (4 volumes). * ''Curcellaei religio triplex ad unius fidei catholicae simplicitatem revocata'', 1678 <ref name=PRDL /> * ''Theologia positiva.'', Wittenberg 1682.

==Family== Calovius was married six times;<ref name=CCELAC /><ref name=UW>{{cite web |url= https://www.uni-wittenberg.de/wp-content/uploads/application/pdf/Rechte-pruef_Schmeling-2004_Abraham-Calov.pdf |title= Abraham Calov (1612-1686): Sainted Doctor and Defender of the Church |last= Schemling|first= Timothy|date= 11 December 2024 |website= University of Wittenberg |publisher= |access-date= 22 January 2026 |quote=}}</ref> his third marriage was to the daughter of Johann Hülsemann while his last wedding was at the age of 72, to Dorothea Quenstedt.

==See also== Syncretistic Controversy

==References== {{reflist}}

==References== * Marco Sgarbi, [http://marcosgarbi.files.wordpress.com/2012/12/marco-sgarbi-calov-and-kant.pdf ''Abraham Calov and Immanuel Kant. Aristotelian and Scholastic Traces in the Kantian Philosophy''], Historia Philosophica, 8, 2010, pp.&nbsp;55–62

==External links== {{Commons|Abraham Calov|Abraham Calov}} * [http://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN634741594&PHYSID=PHYS_0005&DMDID= Abraham Calov, Scripta philosophica] * [https://www.ontology.co/biblio/history-continental-authors-2.htm The Birth of Ontology. A selection of Ontologists from 1560 to 1770] * [https://books.google.com/books?id=ZAed_DrVKOMC Abraham Calov's Doctrine of Vocatio in Its Systematic Context] by Kenneth Appold * [https://books.google.com/books?id=fYOjvC2T9qIC&pg=PA239 Dogmatic excerpts from Syncretismus and Digressio] by Abraham Calov * [http://www.blts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/TRS-Consensus-Repetitus.pdf Lutheran Orthodoxy under Fire] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725115503/http://www.blts.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/TRS-Consensus-Repetitus.pdf |date=2011-07-25 }} by Timothy Schmeling

{{Lutheran Orthodoxy}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Calovius, Abraham}} Category:1612 births Category:1686 deaths Category:People from Morąg Category:17th-century Prussian people Category:17th-century German Lutheran clergy Category:German Lutheran theologians Category:German male non-fiction writers Category:17th-century German Protestant theologians Category:17th-century writers in Latin Category:17th-century German male writers Category:University of Königsberg alumni Category:Academic staff of the University of Wittenberg Category:17th-century Lutheran theologians