Hugo Grotius

Hugo Grotius (Huig de Groot, or Hugo de Groot; Delft, 10th April 1583 - Rostock, 28th August 1645) worked as a jurist in the Dutch Republic and laid the foundations for international law, based on natural law. He was also a philosopher, Christian apologist, playwright, poet, and influential thinker.

On The Truth of the Christian Religion

Grotius wrote a book defending Christianity, called De veritate religionis Christianae (published 1632), which was translated from Latin into English, Arabic, Persian and Chinese by Edward Pococke for use in missionary work in the East and remained in print until the end of the Nineteenth century. It was the first Protestant textbook in Christian apologetics, and was divided into six books. Part of the text dealt with the emerging questions of historical consciousness concerning the authorship and content of the canonical gospels. Other sections of the work addressed pagan religion, Judaism and Islam. What also distinguished this work in the history of Christian apologetics is its precusor role in anticipating the problems expressed in Eighteenth century Deism, and that Grotius represents the first of the practitioners of legal or juridical apologetics in the defence of Christian belief.

Related Topics:
Christianity - Edward Pococke - Apologetics - Judaism - Islam - Deism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Grotius also developed a particular view of the atonement of Christ known as the "Governmental" or "Moral government" theory. He theorized that Jesus' sacrificial death occurred in order for the Father to forgive while still maintaining his just rule over the universe. This idea, further developed by theologians such as John Miley, became the dominant view in Arminianism and Methodism.

Related Topics:
Atonement - Governmental - John Miley - Arminianism - Methodism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Both Edward Gibbon and Thomas Carlyle have exposed some pious lies in Grotius' book, which were omitted from the Arabic text by Pococke, although kept in the Latin one.

Related Topics:
Edward Gibbon - Thomas Carlyle

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Peace Palace Library in The Hague holds the Grotius Collection, which has a large number of books by and about Hugo Grotius. The collection was based on a donation from Martinus Nijhoff of 55 editions of De jure belli ac pacis libri tres.

Related Topics:
Peace Palace Library - The Hague

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The American Society of International Law has been holding an annual series of Grotius Lectures since 1999.

Related Topics:
American Society of International Law - Grotius Lectures - 1999

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~