Franz Anton Staudenmaier
Encyclopedia
Franz Anton Staudenmaier (September 11, 1800 - January 19, 1856) was a Catholic theologian.
Born at Donzdorf
, Württemberg
, he was a pupil at the Latin school of Gmünd
between 1815 and 1818 and at the Gymnasium at Ellwangen
from 1818 to 1822. During the years 1822-1826, he studied theology and philosophy at the University of Tübingen, where Johann Sebastian von Drey
, Johann Georg Herbst, Hirscher, and Möhler were his teachers. In the autumn of 1826 he entered the seminary at Rottenburg am Neckar
, where he was ordained as a priest on September 15, 1827. After performing the duties of a parish priest for a year he became, in the autumn of 1828, a tutor in the Catholic theological seminary, "Wilhelmsstift" at Tübingen
In 1830 he was made regular professor of dogmatic theology
in the newly-established Catholic theological faculty of the University of Giessen
, which owed its brief period of prosperity largely to Staudenmaier and his colleague Kuhn. In the autumn of 1837 he became the regular professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Freiburg
. From 1843 he was also a cathedral canon.
Staudenmaier was a major figure in the Catholic theology of Germany in the first half of the nineteenth century and one of the most important writers on dogmatics of the Catholic Tübingen school. He was reported as a scholar of far-reaching knowledge, of great productive energy, and at the same time a philosopher with a talent for speculation. His service consisted in securing a deep speculative foundation for Christian truth and in attempting to defend against other perspective like Hegelian philosophy.
In addition he did much for two theological periodicals which he aided in founding and on which he collaborated. With his colleagues at Giessen he established the "Jahrbücher für Theologie und christliche Philosophie" (three yearly series in seven vols., Frankfort am Main, 1834–35; Mainz, 1836). And in conjunction with his colleagues at Freiburg he established the "Zeitschrift für Theologie" (21 vols., Freiburg im Br., 1839–49). Both periodicals came into existence greatly through his efforts and attained high scholarly reputation through his contributions.
Born at Donzdorf
Donzdorf
Donzdorf is a town in the district of Göppingen in Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany.It is located 12 km east of Göppingen, and 13 km south of Schwäbisch Gmünd. It is notably known from being home to one of the biggest heavy metal music record companies, Nuclear Blast Records....
, Württemberg
Württemberg
Württemberg , formerly known as Wirtemberg or Wurtemberg, is an area and a former state in southwestern Germany, including parts of the regions Swabia and Franconia....
, he was a pupil at the Latin school of Gmünd
Gmünd
Gmünd is a town in the district of Spittal an der Drau, in the Austrian state of Carinthia.The municipality is situated within the valley of the Lieser river, a left tributary of the Drava, east of the Hohe Tauern mountain range.-Municipality breakdown:...
between 1815 and 1818 and at the Gymnasium at Ellwangen
Ellwangen
Ellwangen an der Jagst, officially Ellwangen , in common use simply Ellwangen is a town in the district of Ostalbkreis in the east of Baden-Württemberg in Germany...
from 1818 to 1822. During the years 1822-1826, he studied theology and philosophy at the University of Tübingen, where Johann Sebastian von Drey
Johann Sebastian von Drey
Johann Sebastian von Drey was a German Catholic professor of theology at the University of Tübingen. With Johann Adam Möhler, Drey was the founder of the so-called Catholic School of Tübingen.-Life:...
, Johann Georg Herbst, Hirscher, and Möhler were his teachers. In the autumn of 1826 he entered the seminary at Rottenburg am Neckar
Rottenburg am Neckar
Rottenburg am Neckar is a medium-sized town in the administrative district of Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It rests about 50 km southwest of the provincial capital Stuttgart and about 12 km southwest of the district town Tübingen...
, where he was ordained as a priest on September 15, 1827. After performing the duties of a parish priest for a year he became, in the autumn of 1828, a tutor in the Catholic theological seminary, "Wilhelmsstift" at Tübingen
In 1830 he was made regular 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...
in the newly-established Catholic theological faculty of the University of Giessen
University of Giessen
The University of Giessen is officially called the Justus Liebig University Giessen after its most famous faculty member, Justus von Liebig, the founder of modern agricultural chemistry and inventor of artificial fertiliser.-History:The University of Gießen is among the oldest institutions of...
, which owed its brief period of prosperity largely to Staudenmaier and his colleague Kuhn. In the autumn of 1837 he became the regular professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Freiburg
University of Freiburg
The University of Freiburg , sometimes referred to in English as the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg, is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany.The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg dynasty as the...
. From 1843 he was also a cathedral canon.
Staudenmaier was a major figure in the Catholic theology of Germany in the first half of the nineteenth century and one of the most important writers on dogmatics of the Catholic Tübingen school. He was reported as a scholar of far-reaching knowledge, of great productive energy, and at the same time a philosopher with a talent for speculation. His service consisted in securing a deep speculative foundation for Christian truth and in attempting to defend against other perspective like Hegelian philosophy.
In addition he did much for two theological periodicals which he aided in founding and on which he collaborated. With his colleagues at Giessen he established the "Jahrbücher für Theologie und christliche Philosophie" (three yearly series in seven vols., Frankfort am Main, 1834–35; Mainz, 1836). And in conjunction with his colleagues at Freiburg he established the "Zeitschrift für Theologie" (21 vols., Freiburg im Br., 1839–49). Both periodicals came into existence greatly through his efforts and attained high scholarly reputation through his contributions.
Works
- "Geschichte der Bischofswahlen" (Tübingen, 1830); "Johannes Scotus Erigena und die Wissenschaft seiner Zeit" (1 pt. only, Frankfort, 1834)
- "Encyklopädie der theologischen Wissenschaften als System der gesammten Theologie" (Mainz, 1834; 2nd ed. 1 vol. only, Mainz, 1840), at the time of its publication an epoch-making work in the domain of Catholic theology
- "Der Pragmatismus der Geistesgaben oder das Wirken des göttlichen Geistes im Menschen und in der Menschheit" (Tübingen, 1835)
- "Der Geist des Christenthums dargestellt in den heiligen Zeiten, in den heiligen Handlungen und in der heiligen Kunst" (2 pts., Mainz, 1835; 5th ed., 1855; 8th ed., 1880), an introduction to the understanding of Catholic Christianity and its worship, based on a presentation of the Catholic Church year, and expressed in language that can be understood by all educated Christians, the most widely-circulated book of Staudenmaier
- "Geist der göttlichen Offenbarung, oder Wissenschaft der Geschichtsprincipien des Christenthums" (Giessen, 1837)
- "Die Philosophie des Christenthums oder Metaphysik der heiligen Schrift als Lehre von den gottlichen Ideen und ihrer Entwicklung in Natur, Geist, und Geschichte: Vol. I, Die Lehre von der Idee" (Giessen, 1840)
- "Darstellung und Kritik des Hegel'schen Systems. Aus dem Standpunkt der christlichen Philosophie" (Mainz, 1844)
- "Die christliche Dogmatik" (vols. I-IV, i, Freiburg im Br., 1844–52). This is Staudenmaier's principal work; unfortunately it was never finished.
- "Das Wesen der katholischen Kirche, mit Rücksicht auf ihre Gegner dargestellt" (Freiburg im Br., 1845); "Zum religiösen Frieden der Zukunft, mit Rücksicht auf die religiös-politische Aufgabe der Gegenwart" 3 pts., (Freiburg im Br., 1846–51).