Miguel Servet

Miguel Servet was a renowned theologian who also carried out a series of studies in the area of medicine in Lyon and Paris. In 1553 he anonymously published a 700 page book called ” The Restitution of Christianity “ or ” The Restoration of Christianity “ as it is also known. His religious views were considered extreme, enraging both Catholics and Protestants . Your description of the pulmonary transit of blood through the lungsit was an important and recognized part of his theological work. Servetus argued that since the soul resided in the bloodstream , one would have to study the origin and movement of the blood in order to understand the soul.

Biography of Miguel Servet

Miguel Servet was born in Villanueva de Sigena , on September 29, 1511 . His father, Anton Servetus, was a royal notary who studied Latin, Hebrew and Greek. He studied law in Toulouse and later in one of his trips he met Juan Ecolampadio, who was the head of the reform in the city. He was in contact with Anabaptists , heretics who were persecuted and sentenced to death for not wanting to baptize their children and for defending baptism in adults, people who defended egalitarianism and pacifism .

His friendship with Ecolampadio ended in enmity and he was denounced before the municipal council for which he had to flee to Strasbourg where he meets Martín Bucero from whom he must also flee, which is why he moved to Paris where he used a false identity, Michel of Villeneuve . In Paris he was professor of mathematics , astronomy and astrology and in 1534 he met Juan Calvin , who would execute him years later.

Death

Some time after meeting Calvin, Servetus wrote the book ” Institution of the Christian Religion “, a thesis in which he made great criticisms against Calvin . He wanted to meet with Calvino and see him, but he threatened to kill him. Some time later, the French Inquisition manages to enter the Spanish house in Vienna and stops him, but Miguel Servetus does not confess his true identity and plans an escape . On April 6, he managed to jump out of a window and escape. Despite this he was arrested and tried , he was also sentenced to pay a fine of 1,000 pounds of gold and wassentenced to death at the stake over low heat. The 27 of October of 1533 the court sentenced him to be tied up and taken to the hill of Champel where it would be burned with their manuscripts and books .

What did Miguel Servet do

In addition to his important research and discoveries in the area of medicine , he was a great humanist who focused mainly on the defense of the freedom of the individual, mainly on the freedom of conscience . He affirmed that no type of ecclesiastical or civil authority had the right to impose their beliefs or to be able to limit freedom of expression with respect to the issue of freedom .

Discoveries

Miguel Servet managed to discover that blood reached the heart from different parts of the body , and that this blood could also transport carbon dioxide , that the heart drove the blood to the lungs where there was an exchange of gases and then returned to the heart where it was pumped to the rest of the body .

Contributions of Miguel Servet

In addition to his important contributions and discoveries in the physiological area of the human body, he had an important and recognized work as a religious polemicist . His death contributed and led to the recognition of freedom of thought and expression of ideas . It was the precursor of freedom of conscience , which later became a civil right within modern society. He founded observation and experimentation as the only source of knowledgeand defended freedom of conscience . He also participated fully in the Protestant Reformation and was in charge of developing a christology against the Trinity.

Acknowledgments

Over time Miguel Servet has been recognized within global and several awards they have been made in your name as the university hospital in Zaragoza that bears his name the same as a foundation. In addition, his role as a humanist is increasingly recognized worldwide.

Works by Miguel Servet

Among his most important works we mention:

• De Trinitatis Erroribus or Of the errors about the Trinity : this was a book that caused scandal among the German reformers. It had seven chapters in which it argued that the Trinity had no biblical basis and that it was also not found in scripture . He denied in him that the Son was eternal and that he had been begotten by a natural act of man, although despite this, he was divine by the grace of God .
• Dialogorum de Trinitate or Dialogues on the Trinity : they were two books that were based on a conversation between Miguel and Petrucho . He did it to clear doubts and said that Jesus was not only divine by grace but also by nature.

He also wrote works such as The Dialogues of the Trinity , the Geography of Ptolemy , The Apology against Leonardo Fuchis , Syruprum: universa ratio or The Universal Explanation of Syrups , The Holy Bible ex dessertmis doctorum, the Paris Manuscript , in addition to biblical works, medical and Spanish translation

Monuments

Miguel Servet has many and different monuments in his name, below we mention them:

• Spain :
  • In his hometown Villanueva de Sigena in Aragon a statue representing him was made , which is located next to the church .
  • The University Hospital of Zaragoza also bears the name of Miguel Servet.
  • In many cities of Spain you can find streets dedicated to Servetus.
• Swiss:
  • In Geneva a street bears his name, and a memorial was also built near where he was burned .
• France :
  • In Vienne where Servetus lived after 1540, a public school bears his name, and there is also a monument in his honor.
  • In Paris , in the Square of the aspirant Dunand, there is a marble statue that represents him chained to the stake.
  • In Annemasse there is a statue of Michael Servetus in the town hall , this work is a replica , since the previous one was destroyed by the German army in World War II .
  • In Lille there is a professional high school named after him.