Franz Jozef Van Beeck
Encyclopedia
Frans Jozef Van Beeck or Franz Jozef van Beeck, also known as Joep van Beeck (June 11, 1930 – October 12, 2011), was a Dutch
author
and Christian
theologian
who was also a prominent priest
of the Society of Jesus
.
Born in Helmond
, Netherlands
, he entered the Jesuit religious order
in 1948 after studies at the Jesuit-run Aloysius College in The Hague
. He received a doctorate
in English
from the University of Amsterdam in 1961 and was ordained
to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1963. From 1968 to 1985, Van Beeck taught theology
at Boston College
in Boston, Massachusetts. He then moved to Loyola University Chicago
in Chicago
, Illinois
where he served as John Cardinal Cody
Professor of Theology until his retirement in 2002. From 2006 until his death, he resided in Nijmegen, Netherlands
.
Van Beeck wrote hundreds of thousands of pages of letters, treatises and books used today in Christian college
s and universities
throughout the world. His most famous theological work is an ambitious series of six books called God Encountered: A Contemporary Catholic Systematic Theology (Liturgical Press).
Some of his most controversial works considered the issues arising from World War II
. Critics challenged van Beeck's attempt to define a single universal theme in the overall tragedy of the Holocaust
. They believed that such an attempt to explain the Holocaust as a metaphor or symbol was dangerous and could lead to a minimalization of the horrors of the mass murder.
Van Beeck's Christ Proclaimed: Christology as Rhetoric (1979) is a significant synthesis of theological reflection in christology with a distinctive consideration of rhetoric and the Christian proclamation. Van Beeck's thought about rhetoric and proclamation culminated in the publication of the article "Divine Revelation: Intervention or Self-Communication" in Theological Studies 52 (1991): 199-226.
In 2006, Sacred Heart University Press published his Driven under the Influence: Selected Essays in Theology 1974-2004.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
theologian
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
who was also a prominent priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
of the Society of Jesus
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
.
Born in Helmond
Helmond
Helmond is a municipality and a city in the province of North Brabant in the southern Netherlands.- Quarters and Neighbourhoods :*Quarter 11 Inner City**Neighbourhood 0 Centrum**Neighbourhood 2 Leonardus**Neighbourhood 3 Heipoort...
, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, he entered the Jesuit religious order
Religious order
A religious order is a lineage of communities and organizations of people who live in some way set apart from society in accordance with their specific religious devotion, usually characterized by the principles of its founder's religious practice. The order is composed of initiates and, in some...
in 1948 after studies at the Jesuit-run Aloysius College in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. He received a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
in English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
from the University of Amsterdam in 1961 and was ordained
Ordination
In general religious use, ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart as clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies. The process and ceremonies of ordination itself varies by religion and denomination. One who is in preparation for, or who is...
to the Roman Catholic priesthood in 1963. From 1968 to 1985, Van Beeck taught theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in Boston, Massachusetts. He then moved to Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago
Loyola University Chicago is a private Jesuit research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1870 under the title St...
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
where he served as John Cardinal Cody
John Cardinal Cody
John Patrick Cardinal Cody was an American clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church. A native of St. Louis, he served as Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph , Archbishop of New Orleans , and Archbishop of Chicago . He was created a cardinal in 1967.-Early life and education:John Cody was born in St...
Professor of Theology until his retirement in 2002. From 2006 until his death, he resided in Nijmegen, Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Van Beeck wrote hundreds of thousands of pages of letters, treatises and books used today in Christian college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
s and universities
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
throughout the world. His most famous theological work is an ambitious series of six books called God Encountered: A Contemporary Catholic Systematic Theology (Liturgical Press).
Some of his most controversial works considered the issues arising from World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Critics challenged van Beeck's attempt to define a single universal theme in the overall tragedy of the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. They believed that such an attempt to explain the Holocaust as a metaphor or symbol was dangerous and could lead to a minimalization of the horrors of the mass murder.
Van Beeck's Christ Proclaimed: Christology as Rhetoric (1979) is a significant synthesis of theological reflection in christology with a distinctive consideration of rhetoric and the Christian proclamation. Van Beeck's thought about rhetoric and proclamation culminated in the publication of the article "Divine Revelation: Intervention or Self-Communication" in Theological Studies 52 (1991): 199-226.
In 2006, Sacred Heart University Press published his Driven under the Influence: Selected Essays in Theology 1974-2004.