Church History, Volume 1 (of 3)Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
Religion
Church History, Volume 1 (of 3)
Kurtz, J. H. (Johann Heinrich)
Church history
of Romish historical literature; but, on the other hand, with
brilliant ingenuity, endeavoured carefully to preserve intact
everything which on ultramontane principles and views might seem
capable of even partial justification. His _Lehrbuch_ (I. II. 1.,
Rgsb., 1836 ff.), reaching down only to the Reformation, treats
the matter in a similar way, and confines itself to a simple
statement of acknowledged facts. In the meantime =J. A. Möhler=,
by his earlier monographical works, and still more decidedly
by his far-reaching influence as a Professor at Tübingen, gave
rise to an expectation of the opening up of a new epoch in the
treatment of Catholic church history. He represented himself
as in spiritual sympathy with the forms and means of Protestant
science, although in decided opposition and conflict with its
contents, maintaining his faithful adhesion to all elements
essential to Roman Catholicism. This master, however, was
prevented by his early death, † 1838, from issuing his complete
history. This was done almost thirty years after his death by
Gams, who published the work from his posthumous papers (_K. G._,
3 vols., Rgsb., 1867 ff.), with much ultramontane amendment. It
shows all the defects of such patchwork, with here and there,
but relatively, very few fruitful cases. Traces of his influence
still appear in the spirit which pervades the _Lehrbücher_
proceeding from his school, by Alzog († 1878) and Kraus. The
_Universalgeschichte d. K._, by =J. Alzog= (Mainz, 1841; 9th ed.,
2 vols., 1872; transl. into Engl., 3 vols., Lond., 1877), was,
in its earlier editions, closely associated with the lectures of
his teacher, not ashamed even to draw from Hase’s fresh-sparkling
fountains something at times for his own yet rather parched
meadows, but in his later editions he became ever more
independent, more thorough in his investigation, more fresh and
lively in his exposition, making at the same time a praiseworthy
endeavour at moderation and impartiality of judgment, although
his adhesion to the Catholic standpoint grows more and more
strict till it reaches its culmination in the acceptance of the
dogma of Papal Infallibility. The 10th ed. of his work appeared
in 1882 under the supervision of Kraus, who contributed much to
its correction and completion. The _Lehrbuch_ of =F. Xav. Kraus=
of Freiburg (2nd ed., Trier, 1882) is without doubt among all
the Roman Catholic handbooks of the present the most solid from
a scientific point of view, and while diplomatically reserved
and carefully balanced in its expression of opinions, one of
the most liberal, and it is distinguished by a clever as well as
instructive mode of treatment. On the other hand, the Würzburgian
theologian, =J. Hergenröther= (since 1879 Cardinal and Keeper of
the Papal Archives at Rome), who represents the normal attitude
of implicit trust in the Vatican, has published a _Handbuch_
(2 vols.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account