Andrzej Wolan

Andrzej Wolan was a secretary to the Grand Duke of Lithuania and an eminent Calvinist theologian. Volanus was involved with controversy about both Jesuits and the Ecclesia Minor or Polish Brethren. Fausto Sozzini's De Jesu Christi natura is a reply to Volanus.

Biography

Andrzej Wolan was born around 1531 in Greater Poland, in the Kingdom of Poland, into a noble family originating from Silesia. In 1544, he began his studies at the University of Frankfurt. After returning to Poland, he lived with his relative Baltazar Strzeźmiński, a land judge, where he gained knowledge of legal practice and civic responsibility. He then traveled to Lithuania to the court of his uncle Hieronim Kwilecki, who recommended him to Mikołaj Radziwiłł the Red. Around 1550, he became Radziwiłł's secretary. However, he soon left for Königsberg, where he studied at the local academy for three years. He later took the position of honorary secretary to King Sigismund Augustus and began his philosophical and literary work.
He was active in writing against what he felt was unfair criticism of Queen Elizabeth of England's persecution of Catholics, for example exaggerating, "There were days under Mary when more victims were burnt than during the 24 years of Elizabeth’s reign."
His debut was the poem Do Polaków i Litwy, while his most important work was the political treatise De libertate politica sive civili libellus lectu non indignus, published by Maciej Wirzbięta's printing house in Kraków. Wolan was married three times and left behind numerous offspring. He died in 1610 on his estate called Wolanów, Ashmyany.

Works

Caecitas et poena ecclesiae, libellus lectu dignissimus 1608
Francisci Turriani... Contra Andream Volanum... de sanctissima eucharistia...1577
Paraenesis Andreae Volani ad omnes in regno Poloniae, Magnoque Ducatu Lituaniæ. 1582
Andreæ Volani Ad beatissimum patrem, D. Hippolytum Aldebrandinum... Oratio 1593
De dignitate ordinis ecclesiastici regni Poloniæ 1582
De libertate politica 1572