Johannes Gezelius the elder

Johannes Gezelius the elder (3 February 1615 – 20 January 1690), known in Swedish as Johannes Gezelius den äldre and Johannes Gezelius vanhempi in Finnish, was the Bishop of Turku and the Vice-Chancellor of The Royal Academy of Turku (1664–1690).[1]

The Right Reverend

Johannes Gezelius the elder
Bishop of Turku
ChurchChurch of Sweden
DioceseTurku
In office1664–1690
PredecessorJohannes Terserus
SuccessorJohannes Gezelius the younger
Orders
Consecration26 May 1665
by Johannes Canuti Lenaeus
Personal details
Born(1615-02-03)3 February 1615
Tillberga, Västmanland, Swedish Empire
Died20 January 1690(1690-01-20) (aged 74)
Turku, Swedish Empire (Present-day Finland)
BuriedTurku Cathedral
NationalitySwedish
DenominationLutheran
ParentsGöran Andersson & Anna Gudmundsdotter
SpouseGertrud Gutheim
Christina Persdotter
Children5
Previous post(s)Superintendent of Livonia (1660–1664)

Biography

Gezelius was born at Tillberga in the parish of Romfartuna (now Västerås) in Västmanland, Sweden. Gezelius was a peasant's son, but was observed in childhood to have apparent gifts and was given a personal tutor, Boetius Murenius. After studying in Västerås (1626) and at the Uppsala University (1632), he graduated in Academia Gustaviana (now the University of Tartu in Tartu, Estonia) with a Master of Arts degree in 1641. His first professorship was of Greek and oriental languages at Tartu in 1642. Subsequently, he worked as a grammar school in Västerås as a lecturer in theology and vicar at Stora Skedvi in Säter, Sweden. Gezelius was appointed Superintendent of Livonia at Riga in 1660 and the Swedish parish vicar at Riga. He received his Doctor of Theology at Uppsala University in 1661 and was named Bishop of Turku and the Vice-Chancellor of The Royal Academy of Turku in 1664.[2]

Encyclopaedia synoptica

Gezelius published a number of textbooks and devoted his thesis in theology. In 1666, he published En rätt barnaklenodium, which went through 70 editions over the next two centuries.[3] In 1672, Gezelius published Encyclopaedia synoptica: ex optimis & accuratissimis philosophorum scriptis collecta, a three-piece Latin encyclopaedia which specifically dealt with fields of philosophy and mathematics. Encyclopaedia synoptica is considered to be Finland's first encyclopedic work. Johannes Gezelius the elder was known as an opponent of Finnish paganism and in 1673 ordered the destruction of spells.[4]

See also

References
  1. "Gezelius, Johannes vanhempi (1615–1690)". Biografiakeskus. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  2. "Gezelius, Johannes Georgii". Svenskt biografiskt handlexikon. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
  3. Jacques Michon; Jean-Yves Mollier (2001). Les mutations du livre et de l'édition dans le monde du XVIIIe siècle à l'an 2000: actes de Colloque International Shebrooke 2000. Presses Université Laval. p. 164. ISBN 978-2-7475-0813-1. Retrieved 19 February 2013.
  4. "Johannes Gezelius (1615–1690)". litteraturbanken.se. Retrieved November 1, 2016.
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