# Valentin Weigel

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**Valentin Weigel** (or **Weichel**; 7 August 1533 – 10 June 1588) was a German [theologian](/source/Theologian), pastor, philosopher and mystical writer, from [Saxony](/source/Saxony), and an important precursor of later [theosophy](/source/Theosophy_(Boehmian)). In English, he is often called **Valentine Weigel**.

## Biography

Weigel was born in [Hayn](/source/Gro%C3%9Fenhain), near [Dresden](/source/Dresden), into a [Catholic](/source/Catholic) family. He studied at [Meissen](/source/Meissen), [Leipzig](/source/Leipzig), and [Wittenberg](/source/Wittenberg). In 1567, he became a [Lutheran](/source/Lutheran) pastor in [Zschopau](/source/Zschopau), near [Chemnitz](/source/Chemnitz). There, he lived out a quiet life, engaged in his writings.

He died in Zschopau.

## Beliefs

Weigel was best known for his belief that the [Virgin Mary](/source/Mary,_mother_of_Jesus) was herself the product of a [virgin birth](/source/Miraculous_births). He based his belief on the idea of the [Immaculate Conception](/source/Immaculate_Conception), which required that Mary must also be sinless in order to bear [God](/source/God) in the flesh of a [human](/source/Human) that defecates daily. He kept his ideas secret, entrusting them only to personal friends (in contrast to [Jakob Böhme](/source/Jakob_B%C3%B6hme)). He carried out his parochial duties and kept a low profile. He left around 6000 pages in printed or manuscript works. His ideas on human nature were only gradually and posthumously published. [Johann Arndt](/source/Johann_Arndt), [Gottfried Arnold](/source/Gottfried_Arnold), and [Gottfried Leibniz](/source/Gottfried_Leibniz) helped to spread Weigel's ideas. His teachings are known as *Weigelianism*.[1][failed verification]

His [mysticism](/source/Mysticism) was marked by that of [Johannes Tauler](/source/Johannes_Tauler) and by doctrines of [Paracelsus](/source/Paracelsus); he was also a follower of [Sebastian Franck](/source/Sebastian_Franck) and [Caspar Schwenckfeldt](/source/Caspar_Schwenckfeldt). Like these two latter, he emphasized the inner life. He advocated a "spiritual church" in which one could know Christ without books or scripture.

## Works

- *Unterrichts-Predigt: Wie man christlich trauern und täglich solle im Herrn sterben*, 1576
- *Libellus de vita beata*, 1609
- *Ein schön Gebetsbüchlein, welches die Einfältigen unterrichtet*, 1612
- *Der güldene Griff, alle Ding ohne Irrtum zu erkennen*, 1613
- *Ein nützliches Traktätlein vom Ort der Welt*, 1613
- *Dialogus de Christianismo*, 1614
- *Erkenne dich selbst*, 1615
- *Informatorium oder Kurzer Unterricht*, 1616 (expanded: *Soli deo gloria*, 1618)
- *Kirchen- oder Hauspostill*, 1618
- *Libellus disputatorus*, 1618
- *De bono et malo in homine*, 1618
- *Zwei schöne Büchlein*, 1618
- *Studium universale*, 1618
- *Tractatus de opere mirabili*, 1619

## References

1. ["Weigelianer"](http://www.zeno.org/nid/20000807648) (in German). *[Brockhaus Conversations-Lexikon](/source/Conversations-Lexikon_mit_vorz%C3%BCglicher_R%C3%BCcksicht_auf_die_gegenw%C3%A4rtigen_Zeiten)*. 1811.

## External links

- [*Astrology Theologised*, online book](http://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/book/lookupname?key=Weigel%2C%20Valentin%2C%201533-1588)

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