Caloviu (or Calov), Abrahiam

Caloviu (Or Calov), Abrahiam, a celebrated Lutheran divine and controversialist, was born in 1612 at Mohrungen in Prussia. He studied at Konigsber and Rostock, and became Professor of Theology at Wittemberg, where he obtained great distinction as a lecturer and controversial theologian. He died Feb. 25, 1686. He was a violent opponent of George Calixtus, whose gentleness he by no means shared. Indeed, so bitter was Calov's zeal, that it has been said of him that "he was born for an inquisitor." He wrote with great ability against the Socinians. His most important work was his Biblia Illustrata (Dresden, 1719, 4 vols. fol.), which contains the whole of Grotius's Annotations, with severe criticisms on them. In dogmatic theology he prepared a vast Systema Locorum Theologicorum (1655-1677, 12 tom.). In the Syncretistic controversy (q.v.) he took the most conspicuous part. His writings are very voluminous, nearly all bitterly controversial, and now little read. — Mosheim, Ch. Hist. 2:241; Herzog, Real-Encyklop. s.v.