Johann Eck

Johann Eck (1486–1543), born Johann Maier, was the foremost Catholic theologian to oppose Martin Luther. Ordained in 1508, he became a professor at Ingolstadt in 1510. He attacked Luther's ninety-five theses and then debated Karlstadt and Luther at the Leipzig Disputation of 1519, where he pressed Luther to deny the authority of pope and councils.

He then went to Rome and brought back the bull Exsurge Domine (1520) condemning Luther's writings. In 1530 he helped draft the Catholic Confutatio at Augsburg, and died at Ingolstadt in 1543.