# Postil

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{{Short description|Cycle of Christian homilies}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}
A '''postil''' or '''postill''' ({{langx|la|postilla}}; {{langx|de|Postille}}) was originally a term for [Bible](/source/Bible) commentaries. It is derived from the [Latin](/source/Latin) {{Lang|la|post illa verba textus}} ("after these words from Scripture"),<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Adams |first1=Gwenfair Walters |title=Romans 1-8 |last2=George |first2=Timothy |last3=Manetsch |first3=Scott M. |date=2019 |isbn=978-0-8308-7299-2 |location=Downers Grove |oclc=1085625647}}</ref> referring to biblical readings. The word first occurs in the chronicle (with reference to examples of 1228 and 1238) of [Nicolas Trivetus](/source/Nicolas_Trivetus), but later it came to mean only [homiletic](/source/homiletic) exposition, and thus became synonymous with the [homily](/source/homily) in distinction from the thematic sermon. Finally, after the middle of the fourteenth century, it was applied to an annual cycle of homilies.<ref name="SH">{{Cite web |last=Schaff |first=Philip |title=Postil in ''New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge'' |url=https://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/encyc09.html?term=Postil |access-date=31 December 2021 |publisher=Christian Classics Ethereal Library |volume=IX}}</ref>

==Early Lutheran postils==
From the time of [Martin Luther](/source/Martin_Luther), who published the first part of his postil under the title {{Lang|la|Enarrationes epistolarum et evangeliorum quas postillas vocant}} (Wittenberg, 1521), every annual cycle of sermons on the lessons, whether consisting of homilies or formal sermons, is termed a ''postil''. A few of the most famous [Lutheran](/source/Lutheran) postils are those of M. Luther ({{Lang|de|Kirchenpostille}}, Wittenberg, 1527; {{Lang|de|Hauspostille}}, 1542, 1549), [P. Melanchthon](/source/Philipp_Melanchthon) ({{Lang|de|Evangelien-Postille}}, Germ., Nuremberg, 1549; Lat., Hanover, 1594), [M. Chemnitz](/source/Martin_Chemnitz) (''{{Lang|de|Evangelien-Postille}}'', Magdeburg, 1594), [L. Osiander](/source/Osiander) ({{Lang|de|Bauern-Postille}}, Tübingen, 1597), and [J. Arndt](/source/Johann_Arndt) (''{{Lang|de|Evangelien-Postille}}'', Leipzig, 1616).<ref name=SH/>

==Catholic postils==
By 1530 postils were commonly used in Catholic preaching, at least in Germany.{{sfn|Frymire|2010|p=253}} The two (in Latin) by [Thomas Stapleton](/source/Thomas_Stapleton_(theologian)) proved popular.{{sfn|Frymire|2010|p=419}} Frymire has tabulated the development from 1520 (Catholic and Lutheran).{{sfn|Frymire|2010|p=454}}

==Later postils==
The term ''postil'' fell into disuse during the period of [Pietism](/source/Pietism) and the [Enlightenment](/source/Age_of_Enlightenment), but was revived by [Claus Harms](/source/Claus_Harms) ({{Lang|de|Winter-Postille}}, Kiel, 1812; {{Lang|de|Sommer-Postille}}, 1815). It has again become common through [W. Löhe](/source/Johann_Konrad_Wilhelm_L%C3%B6he) (''{{Lang|de|Evangelien-Postille}}'', Frommel 1848; {{Lang|de|Epistel-Postille}}, 1858), and M. Stuttgart ({{Lang|de|Herzpostille}}, Bremen, 1882, 1890; ''{{Lang|de|Hauspostille}}'', 1887–88; {{Lang|de|Pilgerpostille}}, 1890).<ref name=SH/>

[Reformed Churches](/source/Reformed_Churches), which disregard a regular series of lessons, have no postils; in the [Roman Catholic Church](/source/Roman_Catholic_Church) the term has been kept, especially through [Leonard Goffiné](/source/Leonard_Goffin%C3%A9) ({{Lang|de|Hand-Postill oder christ-catholische Unterrichtungen von allen Sonn- and Feyr-Tagen des gantzen Jahrs}} (Mainz, 1690; popular, illustrated ed., reissued twenty-one times by H. Herder, Freiburg-im-Breisgau, 1875–1908; Eng. transl., T. Noethen, New York, n.d.).<ref name=SH/>

==See also==
*[Homiliarium](/source/Homiliarium)
*[Marginalia](/source/Marginalia)

==Notes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
*{{Cite book |last=Frymire |first=John M. |title=The primacy of the postils : Catholics, Protestants, and the dissemination of ideas in early modern Germany |date=2010 |publisher=Brill |isbn=978-90-04-18360-5 |location=Leiden |oclc=695988970}}
*{{Cite book |last=Holtz |first=Sabine |title=Predigt: Religiöser Transfer über Postillen |oclc=1184503298|ref=none}}
;Attribution
*{{Schaff-Herzog|title=Postil|ref=none}} 

{{Lutheran Divine Service}}

Category:History of Lutheranism
Category:Christian homiletics

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Postil](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postil) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postil?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.