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    Theological Writings “The Theological Writings of St. Robert Bellarmine Christian D. Washburn, Assistant Professor of Theology, Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary. ‘The Remnant Trust has in its collection two important works by St. Robert Cardinal Bellarmine: On Eeclesiast cal Writers and the Disputations about the Controversies of the Christian Faith against the Heretics of this Time, simply known as the Controversies. Itis no exaggeration to say that the Controversies are the single most important theological treat written by a Catholic theologian in the last four hun- dred years, Bellarmine’s works are important not only as a response to the nascent Protestant Reformers but also for the development and trajectory of Catholic theology in general, In the Controversies, Bellarmine set forth a particular vision ‘of man, his place in the world, and his relationship with his God. ‘This vision was at the center of the conflict between Catholics and Protestants. In this paper I will examine the development, structure, and method of the Controversies and show how this work was related to Bellarmine’s understand- ing of the dignity of man, Robert Francis Romulus Bellarmine was born at Mon tepulciano in Tuscany on October 4, 1542. Though his mother ‘was Cinthia Cervini, sister ofthe future Pope Marcellus Il, the family was of modest means. Robert was of delicate health, suffering from a number of illnesses that would beset him for the rest of his life. Despite a series of setbacks caused by his poor health, Robert was recognized by those around him asa child gifted with great virtue, a remarkable intelligence, grace in speaking, as well as an aptitude in music.' Around 1558, sixteen-year-old Robert, reflecting on the transient nature of B 74 Christian D. Washburn worldly honors, decided to enter religious life He desired “a religious orderin which there wasno danger of being promot- ed tocecclesiastical dignities..” and concluding “that no order ‘was freer in this respect than the Society [of Jesus], he decided hhe must enter it" Roberts mother was already well disposed toward the recently founded Society of Jesus His father, Vincenzo Bellarmine, however, intially opposed his entrance {nto the Society of Jesus, wishing instead that he would study law and thereby regain some of the wealth once possessed by his progenitors. Vincenzo eventually agreed that Bellarmine could enter into the Society of Jesus if he would spend a year of study first. Bellarmine agreed to this condition, as did the General of the Society of Jesus, Diego Laines (July 2,1558- January 19, 1565). After the allotted time ended, Robert still held dearly to his desire to join the Society of Jesus. ‘Thus, in September of 1560 Vincenzo gave up his opposition, permit ting Robert to join the Society. Bellarmine spent the next three years studying philosophy at the Roman College, after which he taught the humanities first at Florence, then at Mondovi. In 1567 he began his theo- logical training at Padua. Finally, in 1569 Juan de Polanco, Secretary to the General ofthe Society, instructed Bellarmine to go to Louvain in order to finish his theological studies and tobea preacher tothe students.® On the way to Louvain, Bel- larmine traveled with the future cardinal and controversiaist, William Allen (1532-1594), both of them dressed in lay attire in order to avoid Protestant soldiers, who had a habit of tor turing and killing Catholic priests” Theological Writings Life at Louvain The knowledge that Bellarmine acquired at Louvain was foundational for his development as a theologian and con- troversiaist. ‘Ihe importance of this fact was not lost on Bel Jarmine, who later stated, “My learning, for what its worth, T ‘owe to God above all, and then toa stay of seven years which 1 made in Louvain, when I was young”* By examining some of the texts that he composed while in Louvain, one can clearly see the importance of Bellarmine’ theological work at Lou- ‘vain as a preparation for writing the Controversies. A year-anc Bellarmine was appointed to teach scholastic theology at the Jesuit College in Louvain. On October 17, 1570 ina hall filled with hundzeds, Bellarmine gave his frst publiclecture? His lectures followed the Summa Theologiae of St. Thomas Aqui- nnas rather than the Sentences (Libri IV Sententiarum) of Pe ter Lombard,” This was a pedagogical novelty, for up to this point at Louvain the Sentences was stil the standard theologi caltextbook, These years spent lecturing on Aquinas’ Summa Jhalf after serving as a preacher in Louvain, were an invaluable preparation, for Bellarmine was able to cover the whole of Catholic theology in a systematic manner and to see the relation of the pasts to the whole. [Bellarmine realized that in order to study theology prop- crly, one had to have a firm grasp not only of Latin and Greek but also of that third great sacred language, Hebrew. ‘This ‘would later help him to meet Protestants on their own terms through scriptural exegesis. He began to study under a teach- er who taught him rudimentary Hebrew, but he completed his study by composing a Hebrew grammar of his own, Instifu- tones linguae Hebraicae (Principles of the Hebrew Language), 1 76 Christian D. Washburn first published in 1578." Bellarmine’ motivation in this en- deavor was not only to gain a more complete understanding of Hebrew but also to defend the honor of St. Jerome who claimed that he had taught Blesilla (his pupil, the daughter of a friend) Hebrew within a few days. Although Jerome’ claim may seem incredible, Bellarmine developed a method for teaching Hebrew so ellicienlly and effectively that he was able to teach one of his own students Hebrew to a degree suf- ficient for academic work in a mere eight days® During this time, Bellarmine also composed the unpub: lished Compendium of Heresies (Compendium de haeresi), also known as the Index haereticorum (An Index of Heretics). The University of Louvain was situated in an ara filled with Prot- stants, who were working hard to convert their neighbors to their newly found faith. Bellarmine decided to compile alist ‘of heresies in order to combat them more effectively. Upon his arrival in Louvain, therefore, Bellarmine asked for and ‘was granted permission to read heretical books.'* For two years, however, he held such a privilege only upon the condi- tion that he was not allowed to take these books back to his room; rather the books were kept under lock and key in the Rector’ room. Finally in August 1573, he requested and was {granted permission to read these works in his room.'* “The Compendium contains a series of chronologically arranged sections with each section devoted to a particular heretic. Each section contains a brief biography, alist of the hereti- «al propositions, and the location for each proposition in the heretics printed works, After providing a brief biographical note of Martin Luther, for example, Bellarmine listed 144 of his errors, Bellarmine drew these from various documents: 1-41 came from Leo X's bull, 42-60 from the Assertio oni Theological Writings sums articulorum (Assertion of All the Articles, Martin Luther's response to Leo X's bull in 1521, which denounced Luther's 41 articles and threatened excommunication), 61-83 from De abroganda missa privata (On the Dismissal of the Private ‘Mass, Luther's 1522 essay, which he translated into German under the ttle, The Misuse ofthe Mass), 84-100 from De cap- Livitatebabylonica (On the Babylonian Captivity, a tract from 20 in which Luther discusses doctrines such as baptism), 101-138 from various commentaries, 139-143 from De votis ‘monasticis (On Monastic Vows), and 144 from De abrogatione smissae privatae.!* Bellarmine adopted a similar procedure in his work De seriptoribus ecclesiasticis or On Ecclesiastical Writers. ‘The work is divided into two major parts: the first was an exami- nation of authors who preceded the birth of Christ, and the second covered the first 1,500 years ofthe Cristian Church. Within this structure, the work is further divided into a series of chronologically arranged sections, with each section being devoted to a particular ecclesiastical author. In each section, Bellarmine provided a brief biographical sketch ofthe author and a partially annotated list of the author's works. Through this work, Bellarmine gained a thorough knowledge of all or thodox Christian writers until the sixteenth century. While initially this work was intended as study notes, it fll into “alien hands? which is probably a charitable way of saying that some ofhis students stole it. Bellarmine was fearful that the work would be published in an imperfect or “mutilated form after his death, so he finaly had it published in 1613.” One of Bellarmine’ principal aims throughout On Eecle- siastcal Writes was to separate the inauthentic from authen- tie writings, and he often employed rather ingenious ways 7 78 Christian D. Washburn ‘of accomplishing this. Bellarmine argued, for example, that the work Exceptions, traditionally ascribed to Richard of St Vietor, must have been written by someone else. Bellarm- ine reasoned that while the book contains a lengthy chapter ‘on islands, Scotland is not described in any detail: a peculiar fact, given that Richard of St. Victor was Scottish. Second, while the unknown author described in some detail the great

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