Background
Mensing was born at Zutphen or Zwolle, Netherlands.
professor Dominican theologian
Mensing was born at Zutphen or Zwolle, Netherlands.
He was considered formidable for his theological knowledge and command of the German language. Matriculating at the university of Wittenberg in 1515, he received there in 1517 the licentiate in theology, and the following year received in Frankfort-on-the-Oder the doctorate in theology from the hands of the general of his order. According to Quétif, he taught theology in 1514 in the monastery at Ulm;, but it is however improbable that Mensing, belonging to the province of Saxony, should act as professor in another province which had no studium generale of its own.
To prevent Lutheran doctrinal innovations from gaining a foothold in his province, Mensing entered into all the controversies.
In 1529 he was professor in the University of Frankfort-on-the-Oder and preacher in the cathedral. In 1534 he was elected provincial of his own province, but before the termination of his office Pope Paul III made him suffragan Bishop of Halberstadt.
In 1540 and 1541 he attended the theological conferences of Worms and Ratisbon, where with Johann Eck, the vice-chancellor of the University of Ingolstadt, and Pelargus, he took a leading part in the deliberations.