Johann Augustanus Faber

Johann Augustanus Faber

Theologian, born at Fribourg, Switzerland, c. 1470; died about 1531. He entered the Dominican Order, probably at Augsburg, Germany, where he passed the greater part of his religious life, whence his name Augustanus. He obtained the degrees of Master and Doctor of Divinity, was made (1511) Vicar General of the Dominican Congregation of Upper Germany, and for twenty years filled the office of prior in the Augsburg Convent. He rebuilt (1512-1515) the Dominican church in that city, for which some of the funds were obtained through the preaching of a jubilee permitted by Leo X and also, after a prohibition, by the Emperor Maximilian I. Maximilian made him court preacher and royal counselor. On the recommendation of Erasmus, with whom he was very friendly, he was again appointed to these offices by Maximilian's successor, Charles V. Sympathizing with the Lutherans in their revival of classical learning, he advocated a plan for the treatment of Luther and his followers that the ecclesiastical superiors could not accept. When he withdrew this, and broke away from the humanists, he received the abuse of Luther, and also of his former supporter Erasmus, who had already been provoked by his censure, published anonymously, for adhering to the new errors. The accusation made by Erasmus, that Faber had calumniated him to Cardinal Cajetan has not been proved.

ARTHUR L. MCMAHON