JOHANN VALENTIN ANDREAS. - German Protestant theologian, b. at Herrenberg in 1586, d. at Stuttgart in 1654. Nephew of Jacob, he followed in his footsteps; however, while his grandfather was a zealous Lutheran, the nephew professed Calvinism, though showing respectful attachment to Lutheranism. He also studied theology at Tübingen, and from 1607 to 1614 he accompanied as tutor some young German nobles in Switzerland, Italy, and France. Ordained deacon in 1614, he was later elected superintendent of the Calw district and in 1639 court preacher at Stuttgart; but he resigned in 1647 for health reasons. Of a rather mystical disposition, he was always strongly opposed to any dogmatic quarrel or controversy; for him, what mattered above all was honest living, the realization in feelings and conduct of the doctrine professed.
Driven by this ideal, he wrote: *Reipublicae christiano-politanae descriptio* (1619), in which he imagines an ideal city, governed entirely by Christian principles, to demonstrate how an association of men might be ruled. It is the first Protestant novel, recalling T. More’s *Utopia*, T. Campanella’s *La città del sole*, and Bacon’s *Atlantis*. To reinforce his pacifying idea, he followed with other works: *Invitatio fraternitatis Christi* ad amoris *candidatos* (1617); *Christianae societatis idea* (1620); *Christiani amoris dextra porrecta* (1620). Among his other writings, over 100 published and several others in manuscript, his satirical dialogues and popular poetry are noteworthy.
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