Robert Bellarmine

:This article is about Robert Bellarmine, the Catholic Saint. For the San Jose, California boys' high school, see Bellarmine College Preparatory. For the Louisville, Kentucky college, see Bellarmine University.

In Leuven

After a visit to Venice, where he increased his renown as a public speaker, Bellarmine was sent by the general, Francis Borgia, in 1569, to Louvain.

Related Topics:
Venice - Francis Borgia - 1569 - Louvain

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A strict Augustinian theology prevailed among the teachers at Leuven, represented by Bajus, the precursor of Jansenism. Bellarmine had not enough deep knowledge of his own nature or Christian experience to be able to appreciate the Augustinian doctrines of the corruption of man and the necessity of divine grace to any good movement of the will. He contended accordingly against the propositions of Bajus, though his own views and expressions in

Related Topics:
Augustinian - Bajus - Jansenism

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

the great controversy on grace were always a little uncertain.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

He was the first Jesuit to teach at the university, where the subject of his course was the Summa of Thomas Aquinas; he also made extensive studies in the Fathers and medieval theologians, which gave him the material for his book De scriptoribus ecclesiasticis (Rome, 1613), which was later revised and enlarged by Sirmond, Labbeus, and Oudin.

Related Topics:
Thomas Aquinas - Sirmond - Labbeus - Oudin

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the Netherlands he gained a knowledge of the great controversy with the Protestants which he could hardly have got in Italy, though he seems never to have come into personal contact with the evangelical leaders. Finally he learned Hebrew, and wrote his often reprinted grammar. His genius for teaching, clearness of thought, and adroitness in controversy were indisputable.

Related Topics:
Netherlands - Protestants - Hebrew

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~