Die Medizin indes zu verachten ist nicht Dummheit, sondern Frevel By Melanchthon
Any discussion on the impact of the Protestant reformation on the study of the body, and medicine as a whole, must begin with a discussion of Protestant education. Melanchthon, a contemporary and friend of Luther’s, is widely considered to be responsible for the reformation of Protestant education as a whole (Helm 84). As a professor at Wittenberg he was a key part of its transformation into a powerful educational landmark, as well as how its students studied the body and anatomy. One key difference at the time between Catholic and Protestant studies of anatomy and other sciences was the intended purpose of the education. For the Catholic anatomy was an old art, often studied theoretically, and only forced into more common use in the latter half of the 16th century (Helm 88). There it was commonly used as a method by which to train medical professionals, not often for other reasons. In the Protestant camp however, which was heavily influenced by Melanchthon’s emphasis on natural philosophy, the study of anatomy was seen as a way to understand an ordered world created by an ordered god. Melanchthon himself believed that all Christians should study anatomy, not just those planning to use it at some point in their lives. The outgrowth of this new Protestant education method was quick throughout Germany, and many universities took up the liberal arts model of Wittenberg, as well as its emphasis on the importance of anatomy (Helm 86. What is worth noting is that against what one might expect, religion still plays a major part in the discovery and teaching of medicine, Melanchthon believes it should be studied because “The whole world order is a wonderful theatre, in which God wants to be looked at, and he wishes that the obvious testimonies of his presence, his wisdom and his goodness will be considered here.” (Helm, other 55)