Who was Argula von Grumbach? Only the first woman theologian of the Reformation!
I'm ending Women's History month with one of my favourite Christian women. With excerpts from a paper I wrote during my Master's. This is a free post! Enjoy!
Argula von Grumbach was a Bavarian noblewoman and prolific writer during the Reformation. As a child, her father gave her a copy of the German Bible, printed in 1483 that she studied with abandon. When she was older, she married a Catholic landowner, named Fredrich von Grumbach. Her Protestant beliefs caused some friction between Argula and her husband, which was exacerbated by the fact that her husband was removed from his position within the Catholic church because of her writings. In one of her letters she wrote1:
“He does much to persecute Christ in me… I cannot obey him.”
What happened to get Argula so fired up? Well, a young man named Arsacius Seehofer, had been reprimanded by the University of Ingolstadt for his reformation views and was forced to publicly recant them.2 So Argula began writing letters, and when she did, she signed her maiden name - von Stauff. She did this because it had more political clout, and she wanted to be noticed. Well, she was certainly noticed!
Between 1523-1524 there were 30,000 copies of her writings circulated.3 She wrote seven letters (and a poem) to Ingolstadt University, to her prince - Duke William of Bavaria - to two other princes, to the city councils of Ingolstadt and Regensburg, and to an influential relative.4 She was the most prolific female writer of the Reformation. A couple of my favourite quotes are:
“A disputation is easily won when one argues with force, not Scripture.”
“How in God's name can you and your university expect to prevail, when you deploy such foolish violence against the word of God; when you force someone to hold the Holy Gospel in their hands for the very purpose of denying it...?”
Spunky? Yes! Feisty? Oh yeah! But one thing’s for sure - through her incredible zeal for Christ, Argula von Grumbach became the first woman theologian of the Reformation.5 She also spoke out against the treatment of women, and the poor. She couldn’t abide the patriarchal structure she saw around her. Standing on the foundation of her beliefs, she wasn’t afraid of martyrdom saying:
“By God’s grace I shall not be afraid; I will not hold my peace, either, though it cost me my neck a thousand times.”
What did she get for her zeal? The religious men she wrote to didn’t address her specifically, or reply to her letters. However, in their sermons she was labelled “a ‘heretical bitch’ and a woman ‘hag.’”6 Well, at least she wasn’t called a Jezebel, that seems to be a more modern term.
She was a trailblazer for many Reformation women to follow after. Her strong knowledge of Scripture and ability to withstand the ridicule of the male ego is admirable. Many would shrink away from such situations. But, her unflinching resilience and strong language towards the religious injustice she saw around her offers a posture for women to strive towards even today.
All quotes from Argula are from her letters.
Peter Matheson, “A Reformation for Women? Sin, Grace and Gender in the Writings of Argula von Grumbach.” Scottish Journal of Theology 49, no. 1 (1996): 39.
Ibid.
Peter Matheson, “A Life in Letters: Argula von Grumbach (1492—1556/7).” Early Modern Women 4 (2009): 28.
Natalie L. Gessert, “St. Argula von Grumbach.” Lutheran Forum 44, no. 1 (Spr 2010): 35.
Kirsi Stjerna, "Grumbach, Argula von (1492–ca. 1563/68)." In Handbook of Women Biblical Interpreters, by Marion Ann Taylor, and Agnes Choi. Baker Publishing Group, 2012, 89.