Jan van Ruusbroec

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Jan van Ruusbroec
Medieval portrait by Jan van Ruusbroec

Jan van Ruusbroec [ jɑn vɑn ry.zbruk ] (in modern language Jan van Ruysbroek [ jɑn vɑn rœ.y̯zbruk ]; * 1293 in Brussels ; † December 2, 1381 in Groenendaal) was a Flemish theologian and writer. He wrote his works, which deal with theological and spiritual subjects, in the Central Dutch language.

Life

Jan van Ruusbroec was ordained a priest in 1317 and soon afterwards he was vicar in the Church of St. Gudula (St. Goedele) in Brussels. In 1343 he and several friends withdrew to Groenendaal near Brussels, where they initially lived in a spiritual community without rules. The result was a community of Augustinian Canons Regular , of which he became the first prior and remained until his death in December 1381. Because of the impact of his writings against all externalization of spiritual goods, Ruusbroec was called doctor ecstaticus . Jan van Ruusbroec was a student of Master Eckehart . Geert Groote , the founder of the Brothers of Common Life , Johannes Tauler and later Hendrik Herp are among the many on whom he had direct influence .

Jan van Ruusbroec, together with Hadewijch, is considered to be the most important author of the Middle Dutch language. His tracts were aimed primarily at clergymen who did not speak Latin.

In 1908 Jan van Ruusbroec was declared blessed by a papal decree. His commemoration day on December 2nd is a necessary commemoration day for the Augustinian canons and sisters and can also be found in the Evangelical Name Calendar of the Evangelical Church in Germany .

reception

Some of Ruusbroec's works have already been translated into Latin by his contemporary and friend Wilhelm Jordaens. The Latin handwritten tradition of the eight works, which were translated into Latin even before the Reformation, is more extensive than the vernacular; this shows that Ruusbroec was received mainly by scholars in the late Middle Ages. In the 14th century the reception was still very limited in quantitative terms; most of the copies were not made until the second half of the 15th century.

At the beginning of the 16th century his work was translated into Latin by the Carthusian Laurentius Surius and after this edition was first published in German by the Protestant church historian Gottfried Arnold (Offenbach 1701 ff.).

Works

  • Dat rijcke der ghelieven ("The Kingdom of Beloved", Latin Regnum amantium deum ), probably his first work, written around 1330 in Brussels
  • Die chierheit van der gheestelijcker brulocht ("The ornament of the spiritual wedding", Latin De ornatu spiritalium nuptiarum )
  • Vanden blinking steen ("The sparkling stone", Latin De perfectione filiorum dei )
  • Vanden vier becoringhen ("Of the four temptations", Latin De quatuor tentationibus )
  • Vanden kerstenen ghelove ("About faith", Latin De fide et iudicio )
  • Vanden gheesteliken tabernakel ("About the spiritual tabernacle", Latin In tabernaculum foederis commentaria )
  • Vanden seven sloten (Latin De septem custodiis )
  • Een spieghel der eeuwigher salicheit ("A mirror of eternal bliss", Latin Speculum aeternae salutis ), written in 1359
  • Van seven trappen in the graed of the gheesteleker minnen ("Of the seven degrees of spiritual love", Latin De septem amoris gradibus )
  • Vander hoechster waerheit ("From the highest truth"; also called Dat boecsken der verclaringhe and Samuel ; Latin Samuel vel de alta contemplatione )
  • Vanden XII beghinen ("Of the twelve beguines", Latin De vera contemplatione )
  • Letters (seven letters have survived from his correspondence)
  • MS-B-183 - Hugo de Balma. Jan van Ruusbroec. Bernardus Claraevallensis. Augustine (theological collective manuscript). Rhineland (Cologne?), [Around 1440–1450] digitized

expenditure

  • Ioannis Rusbrochii De ornatu spiritualium nuptiarum, Wilhelmo Iordani interprete , ed. Kees Schepers, Brepols, Turnhout 2004, ISBN 2-503-05079-4 (critical edition of the 1353/1365 Latin translation of Die geestelike brulocht )
  • Vanden seven sloten , ed. Guido de Baere, Brepols, Turnhout 1989 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)
  • Vanden blinking steen, Vanden four becoringhen, Vanden kerstenen ghelove, brieven / letters , ed. Guido de Baere et al. a., Brepols, Turnhout 1991, ISBN 2-503-04101-9 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text of the three writings and the letters with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)
  • Van seven trappen , ed. Robo de Faesen, Brepols, Turnhout 2003, ISBN 2-503-04091-8 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)
  • Een Spiegel der Eeuwigher Salicheit , ed. Guido de Baere, Brepols, Turnhout 2001, ISBN 2-503-04081-0 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)
  • Dat rijcke der ghelieven , ed. Joseph Alaerts, Brepols, Turnhout 2002 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)
  • The geestelike brulocht , ed. Joseph Alaerts, Brepols, Turnhout 1988 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)
  • Boecsken der verclaringhe , ed. Guido de Baere, Brepols, Turnhout 1989 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)
  • Van den geesteliken tabernakel , ed. Thom Mertens, 2 volumes, Brepols, Turnhout 2006 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)
  • Vanden XII beghinen , ed. Mikel M. Kors, 2 volumes, Brepols, Turnhout 2001, ISBN 2-503-04081-0 (critical edition of the Central Dutch text with a Latin translation by Surius and a modern English translation)

literature

Web links

Commons : Jan van Ruusbroec  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Johannes von Ruysbroek in the Ecumenical Lexicon of Saints
personal data
SURNAME Ruusbroec, Jan van
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Ruysbroek, Jan van; Ruysbroeck the Wonderful
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Flemish theologian and writer
DATE OF BIRTH 1293
PLACE OF BIRTH Brussels
DATE OF DEATH December 2, 1381
Place of death Groenendaal