Daniel Callus - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Daniel Callus was a Maltese historian

Historian

A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...

and minor philosopher. His main interest was in the history of Medieval philosophy.

Beginnings

Callus was born at [Żebbuġ, Malta]], on January 20, 1888. He joined the Dominicans in 1903 at 15 years of age, and studied with them at Rabat, Malta

Rabat, Malta

Rabat is a village just outside Mdina, Malta. The name of the village is derived from the Arabic word for 'suburb': الرباط, as it was the suburb of the old capital Mdina. Half of the present-day village core also formed part of the Roman city of Melita, before the latter was resized during the...

(1905-08). In 1906, after receiving his Minor Orders

Minor orders

The minor orders are the lowest ranks in the Christian clergy. The most recognized minor orders are porter, lector, exorcist, and acolyte. In the Latin rite Catholic Church, the minor orders were in most cases replaced by "instituted" ministries of lector and acolyte, though communities that use...

, he was sent to Fiesole

Fiesole

Fiesole is a town and comune of the province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Florence, 8 km NE of that city...

, Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, to pursue his studies there. Four years later, in 1910, he obtained the degree of Lector in Theology and Philosophy from the University of Florence

University of Florence

The University of Florence is a higher study institute in Florence, central Italy. One of the largest and oldest universities in the country, it consists of 12 faculties...

. At the same university Callus undertook studies in philosophy

Philosophy

Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...

, history of art

History of art

The History of art refers to visual art which may be defined as any activity or product made by humans in a visual form for aesthetical or communicative purposes, expressing ideas, emotions or, in general, a worldview...

, and Semitic languages

Semitic languages

The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...

. He was subsequently assigned to the Angelicum University (then still a college) in Rome

Rome

Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...

, Italy

Italy

, to proceed with his post-graduate studies. He was ordained a priest in Rome

Rome

in 1910. Two years later, in 1912, Callus returned to Malta, and was assigned to Rabat, Malta

Rabat, Malta

, where he remained until his temporary departure for England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

in 1921. At Rabat, Malta

Rabat, Malta

, he was appointed Acting Regent of Studies of the Studium Generale

Studium Generale

Studium generale is the old customary name for a Medieval university.- Definition :There is no clear official definition of what constituted a Studium generale...

. In 1914 he was also appointed Professor of Dogmatic Theology

Dogmatic theology

Dogmatic theology is that part of theology dealing with the theoretical truths of faith concerning God and his works, especially the official theology recognized by an organized Church body, such as the Roman Catholic Church, Dutch Reformed Church, etc...

at the bishop

Bishop

A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...

’s major seminary at Mdina

Mdina

Mdina, Città Vecchia, or Città Notabile, is the old capital of Malta. Mdina is a medieval walled town situated on a hill in the centre of the island. Punic remains uncovered beyond the city’s walls suggest the importance of the general region to Malta’s Phoenician settlers. Mdina is commonly...

, Malta

Malta

Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...

Commitments

In 1921 Callus temporarily went to England

England

for two years. He settled at Hawkesyard, Staffordshire

Staffordshire

Staffordshire is a landlocked county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes, the county is a NUTS 3 region and is one of four counties or unitary districts that comprise the "Shropshire and Staffordshire" NUTS 2 region. Part of the National Forest lies within its borders...

as Acting Regent of Studies. Here, he gave lectures and prepared his Masters

Master's degree

A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...

, which he obtained in 1923 from Rome

Rome

’s Angelicum University (the degree was officially conferred a year later). That same year, Callus was sent to Viterbo

Viterbo

See also Viterbo, Texas and Viterbo UniversityViterbo is an ancient city and comune in the Lazio region of central Italy, the capital of the province of Viterbo. It is approximately 80 driving / 80 walking kilometers north of GRA on the Via Cassia, and it is surrounded by the Monti Cimini and...

, Italy

Italy

, as Regent of Studies. He stayed here just over a year, when he than returned to Malta

Malta

and appointed Professor of Holy Scripture

Bible

The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...

and Hebrew at the University of Malta

University of Malta

The University of Malta is the highest educational institution in Malta Europe and is one of the most respected universities in Europe. The University offers undergraduate Bachelor's Degrees, postgraduate Master's Degrees and postgraduate Doctorates .-History:The University of Malta was founded in...

(1924). He was also appointed Regent of Studies at the Dominicans’ Studium Generale

Studium Generale

Studium generale is the old customary name for a Medieval university.- Definition :There is no clear official definition of what constituted a Studium generale...

at Rabat, Malta

Rabat, Malta

At Oxford

In 1931 Callus resigned from all of his offices in Malta

Malta

and permanently left for Hawkesyard, and then, a year later, for Oxford

Oxford

The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...

, England

England

, where he stayed until his death. Here he was engaged in predominantly academic and intellectual work. At first he became a research student, exercising himself further in paleography. Later, he became part of a group of distinguished scholars and intellectuals so as to study Medieval Theology and Philosophy

Medieval philosophy

Medieval philosophy is the philosophy in the era now known as medieval or the Middle Ages, the period roughly extending from the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century AD to the Renaissance in the sixteenth century...

. Callus thus continued to mature his philosophical views and to extend his already wide horizon of knowledge. In 1938 he was conferred the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...

, and two years later, in 1940, he was appointed Regent of Studies at Blackfiars, Oxford, an office he held for twelve years. That same year, the University of Malta

University of Malta

awarded him the title of Emeritus

Emeritus

Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...

Professor

A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...

. In 1943 he was elected Member of the Medieval Academy of America

Medieval Academy of America

The Medieval Academy of America is the largest organization in the United States promoting excellence in the field of medieval studies. It was founded in 1925 and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts...

, and in 1946 he was elected Member of the Committee of the Medieval Latin Dictionary of the British Academy

British Academy

The British Academy is the United Kingdom's national body for the humanities and the social sciences. Its purpose is to inspire, recognise and support excellence in the humanities and social sciences, throughout the UK and internationally, and to champion their role and value.It receives an annual...

. A year later, in 1947, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Historical Society

Royal Historical Society

The Royal Historical Society was founded in 1868. The premier society in the United Kingdom which promotes and defends the scholarly study of the past, it is based at University College London...

, and the following year he became the first editor of Dominican Studies. In 1953 the University of Oxford

University of Oxford

The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...

conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts, and in that same year he was appointed Member of the Congregation of the University of Oxford

University of Oxford

. In 1962 he was also conferred the degree of Doctor of Literature ‘Honoris Causa’ by the University of Malta

University of Malta

Death

Callus traveled far and wide lecturing and addressing seminars and conferences on Medieval philosophers, and expounding his own philosophy. On March 25, 1965, he was in Malta

Malta

celebrating his diamond jubilee as a Dominican

Dominican Order

The Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...

. A month later, while still in Malta

Malta

, he was taken ill, and died on May 26 at the Dominican

Dominican Order

hospital of St. Catherine’s in Attard

Attard

Ħ'Attard is a village located at the centre-most point of the island of Malta. Together with Balzan and Lija it forms part of "the Three Villages" and has been inhabited since the Classical Period. Ħ'Attard's traditional Latin motto is Florigera rosis halo due to its many flower gardens and citrus...

. He was buried at the cemetery of Żebbuġ, Malta

Zebbug, Malta

Ħaż-Żebbuġ or Città Rohan is one of the oldest towns in Malta. Its population is 12,892 as of 2010 making it the 12th largest town in Malta.-History and origins:...

, his birth-place, following an impressive funeral at the church of St. Dominic’s in Valletta

Valletta

Valletta is the capital of Malta, colloquially known as Il-Belt in Maltese. It is located in the central-eastern portion of the island of Malta, and the historical city has a population of 6,098. The name "Valletta" is traditionally reserved for the historic walled citadel that serves as Malta's...

Works

According to scholarly analysis and criticism, Callus’ academic and intellectual endeavour is divided between his ‘Malta Period’ (1912-1931) and his ‘Oxford Period’. His publications from the first period, though interesting, are not of much interest to philosophy. His best scholarly contributions are all part of the latter period. They are not very numerous in number – just 40 contributions – but all of a very high calibre, both scientifically and, sometimes, philosophically. These works are generally distinguished under three main headings, as indicated hereunder:

Sacra Scriptura

These are contributions on themes related to Medieval texts and manuscripts linked to Holy Scripture

Bible

or Biblical studies

Biblical studies

Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...

1932 – La Comogonia Biblica secondo S. Agostino nel ‘De Genesi ad Litteram’ (The formation of the Bible according to St. Augustine in his ‘De Genesi ad Litteram’).
1941 – The study of the Bible in the middle ages.
1961 – The Biblical and Patristic background of the Summa Theologiæ of St. Thomas Aquinas.

Varia

These contributions deal with varied themes not classifiable under the other headings.

1933 – The XIX centenary of the redemption.
1934 – Il P. Bede Jarrett O.P. (Fr. Bede Jarrett O.P.)
1941 – A Socialist experiment in our time.
1956 – Un fragment autographe de S. Thomas d’Aquin conservè à la Cathedrale de La Valetta, Malta (An autographed fragment of St. Thomas Aquinas kept at the Valletta Cathedral in Malta).

Mediaevalia

Callus’ forte was related to Medieval manuscripts, texts and documents. His was part of his main scientific research project. These contributions are either general in nature (grouped under the first heading below), related to Oxford scholars, theologians and/or philosophers (the second heading) or associated to a particular ‘hot’ Medieval philosophical question so-called the ‘Unity of Forms

Substantial form

A theory of substantial forms asserts that forms organize matter and make it intelligible. Substantial forms are the source of properties, order, unity, identity, and information about objects....

’ (third heading).

In Genere

1933 – Some recent mediæval studies.
1936 – The philosophical writings of Abailard.
1940 – The philosophy of St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas.
1941 – Philip the Chancellor and the ‘De Anima’ attributed to Robert Grosseteste.
1948 – An unknown commentary of Thomas Gallus on the Pseudo-Dionysian letters.
1948 – The ‘Tabulæ super Originalia Patrum’ of Robert Kilwardby O.P.
1949 – New manuscripts of Kilwardby’s ‘Tabulæ super Originalia Patrum.
1951 – Ten years of research in the medieval field (1940-1950), I.
1952 – The powers of the soul. An early unpublished text.
1952 – Ten years of research in the mediæval field (1940-1950), II.
1954 – The contribution to the study of the Fathers made by the thirteenth century Oxford Schools.
1955 – The treatise of John Blunt on the soul.
1957 – Les sources de Saint Thomas. L’etat de la question (The sources of St. Thomas Aquinas. The present state of the question).
1959 – Introduction of Arabian philosophy to Oxford.
1959 – ‘Fides’ and ‘Auctoritas’ in the late thirteenth-century Oxford School.
1960 – Une œvre recentement decouverte de S. Albert le Grande ‘De XLIII problematibus ad Magistrum Ordinis’ – 1271 (A newly discovered work of St. Albert the Great ‘De XLIII problematibus ad Magistrum Ordinis’ – 1271).
1960 – San Tommaso d’Aquino e Sant’Alberto Magno (St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Albert the Great).
1963 – The subject-matter of metaphysics according to some thirteenth-century Oxford masters.
1964 – The function of the philosophers in thirteenth-century Oxford.

Oxoniensia

1938 – Aristotelian learning at the University of Oxford in the thirteenth century.
1943 – The introductioin of Aristotelian learning to Oxford.
1945 – The Oxford career of Robert Grosseteste.
1946 – The Condemnation of St. Thomas at Oxford, Aquinas Papers, 5, Oxford.
1946 – The ‘Summa Duacensis’ and the Pseudo-Grosseteste’s ‘De Anima’.
1947 – The date of Grosseteste’s translations and commentaries on Pseudo-Dionysius and the ‘Nicomachean Ethics’.
1948 – The ‘Summa Theologiæ’ of Robert Grosseteste.
1953 – Robert Grosseteste’s place in the history of philosophy.
1955 - Robert Grosseteste: Scholar and Bishop, Essays in commemoration of the seventh centenary of his death (ed. by Daniel Callus), Clarendon Press, Oxford.
1955 – Robert Grosseteste as scholar.

Unitatis Formæ

1939 – Two early Oxford masters on the problem of plurality of forms: Adam of Buckfield and Richard Rufus of Cornwall.
1939 – Gundissalinus’ ‘De Anima’ and the problem of substantial form.
1959 – The problem of the unity of form and Richard Knapwell O.P.
1960 – The problem of the plurality of forms in the thirteenth century. The Thomist innovation.
1961 – The origins of the problem of the unity of form.

Sources

Mark Montebello, Daniel Callus: Historian & Philosopher, Malta University Press, Malta, 1994.
Mark Montebello, Il-Ktieb tal-Filosofija f’Malta (A Source Book of Philosophy in Malta), PIN Publications, Malta, 2001.

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