Staudenmaier, Franz Anton
Staudenmaier, Franz Anton
A theologian, born at Donzdorf, Würtemberg, 11 Sept., 1800; died at Freiburg im Breisgau, 19 Jan., 1856. He was a pupil at the Latin school of Gmünd in the years 1815-18, and at the Gymnasium at Ellwangen 18 18-22. During the years 1822-26 he studied theology and philosophy at the University of Tübingen, where Drey, Herbst, Hirscher, and Möhler were his teachers; in the autumn of 1826 he entered the seminary at Rottenburg, where he was ordained priest on 15 Sept., 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 im Breisgau; from 1843 he was also a cathedral canon.
Staudenmaier was one of the most brilliant figures 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 a scholar of far-reaching knowledge, of great productive energy, and at the same time a philosopher with a brilliant talent for speculation. His imperishable service consisted in securing a deep speculative foundation for Christian truth and in defending this truth against the errors of the pantheistic speculation of that era, especially of the Hegelian philosophy. The most important of his numerous literary works are the following: “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. He also published “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). 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-on-the-Main, 1834-35; Mainz, 1836); 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 chiefly through his efforts and attained high scholarly reputation largely through his contributions.
———————————–
LAUCHERT, Franz Anton Staudenmaier, 1800-1856, in seinem Leben und Wirken dargestellt (Freiburg im Br., 1901), with portrait.
FRIEDRICH LAUCHRET. Transcribed by Douglas J. Potter Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume XIVCopyright © 1912 by Robert Appleton CompanyOnline Edition Copyright © 2003 by K. KnightNihil Obstat, July 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., CensorImprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York
Fuente: Catholic Encyclopedia
Staudenmaier, Franz Anton
an eminent theologian of the Roman Catholic Church, was born Sept. 11, 1800, at Donzdorf, in Wurtemberg. He was consecrated to the priesthood in 1827, and entered on his vocation as a teacher in the following year, when he became tutor in the theological seminary at Tbingen. In 1828 he was appointed to the chair of theology at Giessen, in consequence of the publication of a work by him on the History of Bishops’ Elections (Tb. 1830), which had already been awarded a prize offered by the Tbingen University in 1825. He developed an uncommonly fruitful activity as a professor while at Giessen, and was no less busy as a writer. In 1834 he founded, in conjunction with several of his colleagues, a journal bearing the name Jahrbucher fur Theologie u. christl. Philosophie. He was transferred in 1837 to the University of Freiburg, and in 1839 aided in founding another theological journal. Honors now began to pour in upon him; he became canon of the cathedral of the archdiocese of Freiburg, a spiritual and then privy councilor to the grand duke of Baden, and obtained a seat in the legislative chambers. He was also made an honorary member of the University of Prague. Severe application had, however, destroyed his health and exhausted the strength of his mind. In 1855 he was obliged to apply for dismissal from his professorship, and on Jan. 19, 1856, he found his death in the canal at Freiburg. Staudenmaier ranks among the most eminent, scholars of his Church, and may in some respects be brought into comparison even with Mohler (q.v.). His culture was universal because he was convinced that theology has relations towards all sciences, being as it were their sun, from which they derive light, life, and beauty (comp. his essay Ueber das Wesen der Universitat [Freib. 1839]). He lived in a world of ideas. Through protracted and zealous study of the old and new philosophies, of the fathers, the schoolmen, etc., he entered more fully into the realm of ideas which he regarded as the originals and the ground forms of all existences. Several unfinished works show how profound were his inquiries in this field (comp. J. Scot. Erigena u. d. Wissenschaft seiner Zeit [Frankf. 1834]: Die Philosophie d. Christenthums, etc. [Giessen, 1840]: and Darstellung u. Kritik d. hegel. Systems [Mayence, 1844]). It is evident, however, that Staudenmaier could in no case have solved the problem he had set himself, because he had no apprehension of the relation of the doctrine of the divine ideas to the world of nature. He did not even observe what Erigena has to say upon this subject, and thoroughly misapprehended the principle upon which the system of Jacob Boehme (q.v.) rests. The broad comprehensiveness of his studies of doctrine was already apparent in his Encykl. d. theol. Wissenschaften, etc. (Mayence, 1834): Pragmatism. d. Geistesgaben, etc. (Tb. 1835): and Geist d. gottl. Offenbarung. Upon these works followed his Christl. Dogmatik (1844-48). We have also to mention in this connection the popular works Bildercyklus fur katholische Christen, in nine pamphlets (Carlsruhe, 1843- 44): and Geist d. Christenthums, dargestellt in d. heil. Zeiten, Handlungen u. Kunst (Mayence, 1834, 2 vols.; 5th ed. 1852). Staudenmaier’s miscellaneous writings form an extensive group. They generally discuss questions of the time, and are pervaded by a liberal tone, though the author is utterly unable to appreciate Protestantism or its results.