Sebastian Castellio
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Sebastian Castellio (also spelled Châtaillon and Castellión) (1515-1563) was a French preacher and theologian, and an important 16th century proponent of the concept of freedom of religion and conscience. Theologically he is considered anti-trinitarian.
Castellio was born in 1515 at Saint-Martin-du-Fresne. He was educated at the University of Lyon and worked with John Calvin in Strasbourg and Geneva before doctrinal differences developed. In 1553 he became professor at the University of Basel. Castellio died in ill health in 1563, was buried in Münster. His body was later exhumed and his ashes dispersed.
Castellio published De haereticis (Concerning Heretics) in 1554, using the pseudonym Martinus Bellius. Concerning the execution of Michael Servetus, he wrote, "When Servetus fought with reasons and writings, he should have been repulsed by reasons and writings."
J. Frank Schulman, of the Unitarian Universalist Association, said that Castellio is probably "the first person in history who could be called a Unitarian in the modern sense of the word."
External links
- Sebastian Castellio and the Struggle for Freedom of Conscience (http://www.socinian.org/castellio.html)
