ABSTRACT
The later confederates indicate that Eberlin was beginning to come to terms with the central theological issues of the Reformation in the latter half of 1521. This process was greatly accelerated with his arrival in Wittenberg in early 1522 and personal encounters with Luther, Melanchthon and Karlstadt. Eberlin’s greater immersion in Reformation theology was paralleled by a toning down of his calls for social activism. Some of his earlier biographers, especially those on the fringes of the confessional camps, saw in this increasing mildness the influence of Melanchthon on Eberlin.1 However, much more popular among the interpreters of Eberlin’s writings is the opinion that his new social quietism reflects a social conservatism learned at the feet of Luther.2
