Martin Becanus

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Martin Becanus

Martin Becanus (also Verbeeck , van der Beeck , originally Schellekens ; born January 6, 1563 in Hilvarenbeeck (North Brabant), † January 24, 1624 in Vienna ) was a Jesuit and, along with Robert Bellarmin, one of the most famous controversial theologians of the Counter Reformation . He taught philosophy and theology as a professor .

Life

Becanus began his studies at the Dreikronengymnasium in Cologne , where he graduated with a Magister Artium . He then entered the Societas Jesu on March 23, 1583 and began studying theology. After that he taught philosophy himself for a while in Cologne, then he became a professor of theology and taught for the following 22 years at the universities of Würzburg , Mainz and finally Vienna , where he died. Becanus was Ferdinand II's confessor from 1620 to 1623 and advised him to tolerate the Augsburg Confession in Austria.

Works

His style was clear and dignified, and noticeably free from the bitterness that characterized the rest of the polemical literature of his day. His writings were directed primarily against Calvinism , but also against Lutherans and Anglicans .

  • Becanu's first published work in 1608 were the Aphorismi doctrinae Calvinistarum, ex eorum libris, dictis et facis collecti , which he wrote in response to Johannes Calvin's Aphorismi doctrinae Jesuitarum .
  • His four-volume main work Summa theologiae scholasticae (1612) formed a collection of theological treatises , arranged in order according to the teaching system of the Summa theologica of Thomas Aquinas , including a compendium of the commentaries by Francisco Suárez on Thomas Aquinas.
  • The most important of his pamphlets , the Manuale controversiarum huius temporis , was first published in Würzburg in 1623, and Becanus dedicated it to Emperor Ferdinand II. It then went through a number of editions (in the shortened version approx. 55 editions until the late 18th century). In terms of content, the text dealt with questions of predestination , free will , the Eucharist and the infallibility of the church.

Further

  • Controversia Anglicana de postestate regis et pontificis (1613)
  • Analogia Veteris et Novi Testamenti (1620)
  • Compendium manualis controversiarum (1623)
  • Opera omnia , 2 volumes (1630)

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ according to BBKL article: Becanus, Martin von FW Bautz (version of February 13, 2001)
  2. ↑ according to BBKL, the Catholic Encyclopedia online names March 22, 1583 as the date
  3. ↑ a b c d according to article Martin Becan of the Catholic Encyclopedia online
  4. ↑ a b according to article Becanus, Martin der Allgemeine Deutsche Biographie
  5. ↑ Werner Raupp : Art. Becanus [...], Martinus (Martin), in: VL 17 (cf. Lit.), Vol. 1, 2019, Col. 491, 497.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Becanus, Martin
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Verbeeck, van der Beeck; Schellekens (originally)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Jesuit, controversial theologian of the Counter Reformation
DATE OF BIRTH January 6, 1563
PLACE OF BIRTH Hilvarenbeeck (North Brabant)
DATE OF DEATH January 24, 1624
Place of death Vienna