Angelus Silesius (9 July 1677), born Johann Scheffler and also known as Johann Angelus Silesius, was a German

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

priest and physician, known as a mystic and religious poet. Born and raised a

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

, he adopted the name ''Angelus'' (

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

for "

angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles inclu ...

" or " heavenly messenger") and the epithet ''Silesius'' (" Silesian") on converting to Catholicism in 1653. While studying in the Netherlands, he began to read the works of medieval mystics and became acquainted with the works of the

German mystic The Friends of God (German: Gottesfreunde; or gotesvriunde) was a medieval mystical group of both ecclesiastical and lay persons within the Catholic Church (though it nearly became a separate sect) and a center of German mysticism. It was founde ...

Jacob Böhme Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Ja ...

through Böhme's friend,

Abraham von Franckenberg Abraham von Franckenberg (24 June 1593 – 25 June 1652) was a German mystic, author, poet and hymn-writer. Life Abraham von Franckenberg was born in 1593 into an old Silesian noble family in Ludwigsdorf bei Oels. He attended the Gymnasium in ...

. Silesius's mystical beliefs caused tension between him and Lutheran authorities and led to his eventual conversion to Catholicism. He took holy orders under the

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

s and was ordained a priest in 1661. Ten years later, in 1671, he retired to a Jesuit house where he remained for the rest of his life. An enthusiastic convert and priest, Silesius worked to convince German Protestants in

Silesia Silesia (, also , ) is a historical region of Central Europe that lies mostly within Poland, with small parts in the Czech Republic and Germany. Its area is approximately , and the population is estimated at around 8,000,000. Silesia is split ...

to return to the Roman Catholic Church. He composed 55 tracts and pamphlets condemning

Protestantism Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...

, several of which were published in two

folio The term "folio" (), has three interconnected but distinct meanings in the world of books and printing: first, it is a term for a common method of arranging sheets of paper into book form, folding the sheet only once, and a term for a book ma ...

volumes entitled ''Ecclesiologia'' (i.e.,

Ecclesiology In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of the Church (congregation), Church, the origins of Christianity, its relationship to Jesus, its role in salvation, its ecclesiastical polity, polity, its Church discipline, discipline, its escha ...

). He is now remembered chiefly for his religious poetry, and in particular for two poetical works both published in 1657: ''Heilige Seelenlust'' (literally, "The Soul's Holy Desires"), a collection of more than 200 religious

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

texts that have been used by Catholics and Protestants; and ''Cherubinischer Wandersmann'' ("The Cherubinic Pilgrim"), a collection of 1,676 short poems, mostly

Alexandrine couplet Alexandrine is a name used for several distinct types of verse line with related metrical structures, most of which are ultimately derived from the classical French alexandrine. The line's name derives from its use in the Medieval French '' Rom ...

s. His poetry explores themes of

mysticism Mysticism is popularly known as becoming one with God or the Absolute, but may refer to any kind of ecstasy or altered state of consciousness which is given a religious or spiritual meaning. It may also refer to the attainment of insight in ...

, quietism, and

pantheism Pantheism is the belief that reality, the universe and the cosmos are identical with divinity and a supreme supernatural being or entity, pointing to the universe as being an immanent creator deity still expanding and creating, which has ...

within an orthodox Catholic context.

Life

Early life and education

While his exact birthdate is unknown, it is believed that Silesius was born in December 1624 in Breslau, the capital of

. The earliest mention of him is the registration of his

baptism Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...

on Christmas Day, 25 December 1624. At the time, Silesia was a province of the

Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

. Today, it is the southwestern region of

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

. Baptized Johann Scheffler, he was the first of three children. His parents, who married in February 1624, were

Protestants. His father, Stanislaus Scheffler (–1637), was of

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

ancestry and was a member of the lower

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The character ...

. Stanislaus dedicated his life to the military, was made Lord of Borowice (or Vorwicze) and received a knighthood from King Sigismund III. A few years before his son's birth, he had retired from military service in

Kraków Kraków (), or Cracow, is the second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city dates back to the seventh century. Kraków was the official capital of Poland until 1596 ...

. In 1624, he was 62. The child's mother, Maria Hennemann (–1639), was a 24-year-old daughter of a local physician with ties to the Habsburg Imperial court. Scheffler obtained his early education at the Elisabethsgymnasium (Saint Elizabeth's Gymnasium, or

high school A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...

) in Breslau. His earliest poems were written and published during these formative years. Scheffler was probably influenced by the recently published works of poet and scholar

Martin Opitz Martin Opitz von Boberfeld (23 December 1597 – 20 August 1639) was a German poet, regarded as the greatest of that nation during his lifetime. Biography Opitz was born in Bunzlau (Bolesławiec) in Lower Silesia, in the Principality of ...

and by one of his teachers, poet Christoph Köler. He subsequently studied medicine and science at the

University of Strasbourg The University of Strasbourg (french: Université de Strasbourg, Unistra) is a public research university located in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, with over 52,000 students and 3,300 researchers. The French university traces its history to the ea ...

(or ''Strassburg'') in

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

for a year in 1643. It was a Lutheran university with a course of study that embraced

Renaissance humanism Renaissance humanism was a revival in the study of classical antiquity, at first in Italy and then spreading across Western Europe in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. During the period, the term ''humanist'' ( it, umanista) referred to teache ...

. From 1644 to 1647, he attended Leiden University. At this time, he was introduced to the writings of

(1575–1624) and became acquainted with one of Böhme's friends,

(1593–1652), who probably introduced him to ancient Kabbalist writings,

alchemy Alchemy (from Arabic: ''al-kīmiyā''; from Ancient Greek: χυμεία, ''khumeía'') is an ancient branch of natural philosophy, a philosophical and protoscientific tradition that was historically practiced in China, India, the Muslim world, ...

, and

hermeticism Hermeticism, or Hermetism, is a philosophical system that is primarily based on the purported teachings of Hermes Trismegistus (a legendary Hellenistic combination of the Greek god Hermes and the Egyptian god Thoth). These teachings are containe ...

, and to mystic writers living in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

.Stockum, T.C. von. ''Zwischen Jakob Böhme und Johannes Scheffler: Abraham von Franckenberg (1593–1652) und Daniel Czepko von Reigersfeld (1605–1660)''. (Amsterdam: Mededelingen der Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie von Wetenschappen, 1967), passim. Franckenberg had been compiling a complete edition of Böhme's work at the time Scheffler resided in the Netherlands. The

Dutch Republic The United Provinces of the Netherlands, also known as the (Seven) United Provinces, officially as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands (Dutch: ''Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden''), and commonly referred to in historiography ...

provided refuge to many religious sects, mystics, and scholars who were persecuted elsewhere in Europe. Scheffler then went to Italy and enrolled in studies at the

University of Padua The University of Padua ( it, Università degli Studi di Padova, UNIPD) is an Italian university located in the city of Padua, region of Veneto, northern Italy. The University of Padua was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from ...

Padua Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

in September 1647. A year later, he received a doctoral degree in philosophy and medicine and returned to his homeland.

Physician

On 3 November 1649, Scheffler was appointed to be the court physician to

Silvius I Nimrod, Duke of Württemberg-Oels Silvius I Nimrod, Duke of Württemberg-Oels (2 May 1622, Weiltingen – 24 April 1664, Brzezinka in Silesia) was the first Duke of Oels-Württemberg. Life Silvius was the son of Duke Julius Frederick of Württemberg-Weiltingen and Anna ...

(1622–1664) and was given an annual salary of 175 thalers. Although he was "recommended to the Duke on account of his good qualities and his experience in medicine," it is likely that Scheffler's friend and mentor, Abraham von Franckenberg, had arranged the appointment given his closeness to the Duke. Franckenberg was the son of a minor noble from the village of Ludwigsdorf near Oels within the duchy. Franckenberg returned to the region the year before. It is also possible that Scheffler's brother-in-law, Tobias Brückner, who was also a physician to the Duke of Württemberg-Oels, may have recommended him. Scheffler soon was not happy in his position as his personal mysticism and critical views on Lutheran doctrine (especially his disagreements with the Augsburg Confession) caused friction with the Duke and members of the ducal court. The Duke was characterized in history as being "a zealous Lutheran and very bigoted." Coincidentally, it was at this time that Scheffler began to have

mystical visions A vision is something seen in a dream, trance, or religious ecstasy, especially a supernatural appearance that usually conveys a revelation. Visions generally have more clarity than dreams, but traditionally fewer psychological connotations. Vi ...

, which along with his public pronouncements led local Lutheran clergy to consider him a heretic. After Franckenberg's death in June 1652, Scheffler resigned his position—he may have been forced to resign—and sought refuge under the protection of the Roman Catholic Church.Hatfield, Edwin Francis
''The Poets of the Church: A series of biographical sketches of hymn-writers with notes on their hymns.''
(New York: Anson D.F. Randolph & Co., 1884), p. 530.

Priest and poet

The Lutheran authorities in the Reformed states of the Empire were not tolerant of Scheffler's increasing mysticism, and he was publicly attacked and denounced as a heretic. At this time, the Habsburg rulers (who were Catholic) were pushing for a

Counter Reformation The Counter-Reformation (), also called the Catholic Reformation () or the Catholic Revival, was the period of Catholic resurgence that was initiated in response to the Protestant Reformation. It began with the Council of Trent (1545–1563) a ...

and advocated a re-Catholicisation of Europe. Scheffler sought to

convert Conversion or convert may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * "Conversion" (''Doctor Who'' audio), an episode of the audio drama ''Cyberman'' * "Conversion" (''Stargate Atlantis''), an episode of the television series * "The Conversion" ...

to Catholicism and was received by the Church of Saint Matthias in Breslau on 12 June 1653. Upon being received, he took the name ''Angelus'', the

form of "

", derived from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

''ángelos'' (, "messenger"); for his epithet, he took ''Silesius'' (

for " Silesian"). It is uncertain why he took this name, but he may have added it in honour of his native Silesia or to honor a favourite scholastic, mystic or theosophic author, to distinguish himself from other famous writers of his era: perhaps the Spanish mystic writer Juan de los Ángeles (author of ''The Triumph of Love'') or Lutheran theologian Johann Angelus in Darmstadt. He no longer used the name Scheffler, but did on occasion use his first name, Johann. From 1653 until his death, he used the names ''Angelus Silesius'' and also ''Johann Angelus Silesius''. Shortly after his conversion, on 24 March 1654, Silesius received an appointment as Imperial Court Physician to Ferdinand III, the Holy Roman Emperor. However, this was probably an honorary position to offer some official protection against Lutheran attackers, as Silesius never went to Vienna to serve the Imperial Court. It is very likely that he never practiced medicine after his conversion to Catholicism. In the late 1650s, he sought permission (a

nihil obstat ''Nihil obstat'' (Latin for "nothing hinders" or "nothing stands in the way") is a declaration of no objection that warrants censoring of a book, e.g., Catholic published books, to an initiative, or an appointment. Publishing The phrase ''ni ...

imprimatur An ''imprimatur'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''impr.'', from Latin, "let it be printed") is a declaration authorizing publication of a book. The term is also applied loosely to any mark of approval or endorsement. The imprimatur rule in the R ...

) from Catholic authorities in Vienna and Breslau to begin publishing his poetry. He had begun writing poetry at an early age, publishing a few occasional pieces when a schoolboy in 1641 and 1642. He attempted to publish poetry while working for the Duke of Württemberg-Oels, but was refused permission by the Duke's orthodox Lutheran court clergyman, Christoph Freitag. However, in 1657, after obtaining the approval of the Catholic Church, two collections of his poems were published—the works for which he is known—''Heilige Seelenlust'' ("The Soul's Holy Desire") and ''Der Cherubinische Wandersmann'' ("The Cherubinic Pilgrim"). On 27 February 1661, Silesius took holy orders as a

. Three months later, he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

a priest in the Silesian Duchy of Neisse—an area of successful re-Catholicisation and one of two ecclesiastical states within the region (that is, ruled by a Prince-Bishop). When his friend

Sebastian von Rostock Sebastian von Rostock (24 August 1607 – 9 June 1671) was a Roman Catholic Bishop of Breslau. He was born Nicolaus Bauckhe at Grottkau, Silesia, then a part of the Holy Roman Empire. His father, Sebastian, was a craftsman and his mother's name wa ...

(1607–1671) became Prince-Bishop of Breslau, Silesius was appointed his ''Rath und Hofmarschall'' (a counselor and

Chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

). During this time, he began publishing over fifty tracts attacking Lutheranism and the

Protestant Reformation The Reformation (alternatively named the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation) was a major movement within Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the Catholic Church and ...

. Thirty-nine of these essays he later compiled into a two-volume folio collection entitled ''Ecclesiologia'' (1676).

Death

After the death of the Prince-Bishop of Breslau in 1671, Silesius retired to the ''Hospice of the Knights of the Cross with the Red Star'' (the ''Matthiasstift''), a Jesuit house associated with the church of Saint Matthias at Breslau. He died on 9 July 1677 and was buried there. Some sources claim he died from

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

("consumption"), others describe his illness as a "wasting sickness." Immediately after news of his death spread, several of his Protestant detractors spread the untrue rumor that Silesius had hanged himself. By his Will, he distributed his fortune, largely inherited from his father's noble estate, to pious and charitable institutions, including orphanages.

Importance

Silesius, Angelus – Des Angelus Silesius Cherubinischer Wandersmann, 1905 – BEIC 3325036

Interpretation of his work

The poetry of Angelus Silesius consists largely of epigrams in the form of

alexandrine Alexandrine is a name used for several distinct types of verse line with related metrical structures, most of which are ultimately derived from the classical French alexandrine. The line's name derives from its use in the Medieval French ''Roman ...

couplets A couplet is a pair of successive lines of metre in poetry. A couplet usually consists of two successive lines that rhyme and have the same metre. A couplet may be formal (closed) or run-on (open). In a formal (or closed) couplet, each of the ...

—the style that dominated German poetry and mystical literature during the

Baroque era The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including th ...

. According to Baker, the epigram was key to conveying mysticism, because "the epigram with its tendency towards brevity and pointedness is a suitable genre to cope with the aesthetic problem of the ineffability of the mystical experience." The ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' Eleventh Edition identifies these epigrams as ''Reimsprüche''—or rhymed distichs—and describes them as: Silesius's poetry directs the reader to seek a path toward a desired spiritual state, an eternal stillness, by eschewing material or physical needs and the human will. It requires an understanding of God that is informed by the ideas of apophatic theology and of antithesis and

paradox A paradox is a logically self-contradictory statement or a statement that runs contrary to one's expectation. It is a statement that, despite apparently valid reasoning from true premises, leads to a seemingly self-contradictory or a logically u ...

. Some of Silesius's writings and beliefs that bordered on

or panentheism caused tensions between Silesius and local Protestant authorities. However, in the introduction to ''Cherubinischer Wandersmann'', he explained his poetry (especially its paradoxes) within the framework of Catholic orthodoxy and denied pantheism which would have run afoul of Catholic doctrine. His mysticism is informed by the influences of Böhme and Franckenberg as well as of prominent writers

Meister Eckhart Eckhart von Hochheim ( – ), commonly known as Meister Eckhart, Master Eckhart

s used in Protestant and Catholic services. In many early Lutheran and Protestant

hymnal A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). Hymnals are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Chr ...

s, these lyrics were attributed to "anonymous", rather than admit they were penned by the Catholic Silesius, known for his criticism and advocacy against Protestantism. In many instances, the verse of Silesius is attributed in print to "anonymous" or to "I.A." While I.A. were the Latin initials for ''Iohannis Angelus'' they were often misinterpreted as ''Incerti auctoris'', meaning "unknown author". Likewise, several truly anonymous works were later misattributed to Silesius, thanks to the same ambiguous initials. Verses by Silesius appear in the lyrics of hymns published in ''Nürnberg Gesang-Buch'' (1676), Freylinghausen's ''Gesang-Buch'' (1704), Porst's ''Gesang-Buch'' (1713); and Burg's ''Gesang-Buch'' (1746). Seventy-nine hymns using his verses were included in

Nicolaus Zinzendorf Nikolaus Ludwig, Reichsgraf von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf (26 May 1700 – 9 May 1760) was a German religious and social reformer, bishop of the Moravian Church, founder of the Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine, Christian mission pioneer and a major fig ...

's ''Christ-Catholisches Singe und Bet-Büchlein'' (1727). During the 18th Century, they were frequently in use in the Lutheran, Catholic, and Moravian Churches. Many of these hymns are still popular in Christian churches today.

In popular culture

*In 1934,

Hugo Distler August Hugo Distler (24 June 1908 – 1 November 1942)Slonimsky & Kuhn, ''Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians'', v. 2, p. 889 was a German organist, choral conductor, teacher and composer. Life and career Born in Nuremberg, Distler att ...

based 14 motets of his ''

Totentanz The ''Danse Macabre'' (; ) (from the French language), also called the Dance of Death, is an artistic genre of allegory of the Late Middle Ages on the universality of death. The ''Danse Macabre'' consists of the dead, or a personification of ...

'' on texts from ''The Cherubinic Pilgrim''. *In a series of lectures entitled ''Siete Noches'' ("Seven Nights") (1980), Argentine writer and poet

Jorge Luis Borges Jorge Francisco Isidoro Luis Borges Acevedo (; ; 24 August 1899 – 14 June 1986) was an Argentine short-story writer, essayist, poet and translator, as well as a key figure in Spanish-language and international literature. His best-known b ...

(1899–1986) remarks that the essence of poetry can be encapsulated in a single line from Silesius. Borges wrote:

I will end with a great line by the poet who, in the seventeenth century, took the strangely real and poetic name of Angelus Silesius. It is the summary of all I have said tonight — except that I have said it by means of reasoning and simulated reasoning. I will say it first in Spanish and then in German: : La rosa es sin porqué; florece porque florece. : Die Rose ist ohne warum; sie blühet weil sie blühet.

The line he quoted, ''Die Rose ist ohne warum; sie blühet, weil sie blühet...'' from Silesius's ''The Cherubinic Pilgrim'' (1657), can be translated as: "The Rose is without a 'wherefor'—she blooms because she blooms." The influence of mysticism is seen in the work of Borges, especially in his poetry, which frequently references Silesius and his work. *This same line was often referenced in the work of

Martin Heidegger Martin Heidegger (; ; 26 September 188926 May 1976) was a German philosopher who is best known for contributions to phenomenology, hermeneutics, and existentialism. He is among the most important and influential philosophers of the 20th ce ...

(1889–1976) who (building on the work of

Leibniz Gottfried Wilhelm (von) Leibniz . ( – 14 November 1716) was a German polymath active as a mathematician, philosopher, scientist and diplomat. He is one of the most prominent figures in both the history of philosophy and the history of ma ...

and Hegel) explored mysticism in many of his works, in which he defines a theory of truth as

phenomenal A phenomenon ( : phenomena) is an observable event. The term came into its modern philosophical usage through Immanuel Kant, who contrasted it with the noumenon, which ''cannot'' be directly observed. Kant was heavily influenced by Gottfried W ...

and defying any rational explanation. Heidegger was commenting on the rational philosophy of German philosopher and mathematician Leibniz (1646–1716)—a contemporary of Silesius—who called the mystic's poetry "beautiful", but "extraordinarily daring, full of difficult metaphors and inclined almost to godlessness"Heidegger, Martin. ''Der Satz vom Grund.'' (Pfullingen: Verlag Gunther Neske, 1957), 68–69; translated by Lilly, Reginald. ''The Principle of Reason''. (Indianapolis: Indiana University Press, 1991), 36 ff. despite Silesius's mysticism being contrary to Leibniz's ''principium reddendae rationis sufficientis'', the

Principle of sufficient reason The principle of sufficient reason states that everything must have a reason or a cause. The principle was articulated and made prominent by Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, with many antecedents, and was further used and developed by Arthur Schopenhau ...

. *In the 1991 American film '' Cape Fear'' directed by

Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November 17, 1942) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and actor. Scorsese emerged as one of the major figures of the New Hollywood era. He is the recipient of many major accolades, inclu ...

, the film's sadistic antagonist,

Max Cady Max Cady is a fictional character and the primary antagonist of the John D. MacDonald novel '' The Executioners''. He was portrayed by Robert Mitchum in '' Cape Fear'' and Robert De Niro in Martin Scorsese's remake. Character overview In both f ...

(played by Robert De Niro) quotes a verse of Silesius.Strick, Wesley and Webb, James R. Screenplay for "Cape Fear" (1991 film) adapted from the novel ''The Executioners'' by John D. MacDonald. The verse is: However, the context of this line in the film contradicts the meaning intended by Angelus Silesius. Max Cady has a

God complex A god complex is an unshakable belief characterized by consistently inflated feelings of personal ability, privilege, or infallibility. A person with a god complex may refuse to admit the possibility of their error or failure, even in the face ...

and quotes Silesius' poem to emphasize to his intended victims both the power of his individual will and his god-like ability to exact a violent vengeance. The context intended by Silesius was of man's realization through his spiritual potential for

perfection Perfection is a state, variously, of completeness, flawlessness, or supreme excellence. The term is used to designate a range of diverse, if often kindred, concepts. These have historically been addressed in a number of discrete disciplines, ...

that he was of the same substance with God in the sense of the mystical divine union or theosis—that experience of direct communion of love between the believer and God as equals.

Works

Poetry

* 1642: ''Bonus Consiliarius'' (trans. ''The Good Counselor'') * 1657: ''Heilige Seelenlust, oder geistliche Hirtenlieder der in ihren Jesum verliebten Psyche'' (trans. "The Soul's Holy Desires, or the Spiritual Songs of the Shepherd in your Christ-loving Spirit") ** " Ich will dich lieben, meine Stärke" ** " Morgenstern der finstern Nacht" * 1657: ''Geistreiche Sinn-und-Schlussreime zur göttlichen Beschaulichkeit'' (trans. "Ingenious Aphorisms in End-Rhymes to Divine Tranquility", or "Witty Aphorisms in End-Rhymes to Divine Tranquility") renamed in the 2nd edition (1674) to ''Der Cherbinische Wandersmann'' (trans. "The Cherubinic Pilgrim") * 1675: ''Sinnliche Beschreibung der vier letzten Dinge, zu heilsamen Schröken und Auffmunterung aller Menschen inn Druck gegeben. Mit der himmlischen Procession vermehrt, &c.'' (trans. "A Sensuous Representation of the Four Last Things...")

Theological tracts and polemical writings

* 1653: ''Gründtliche Ursachen von Motiven, warumb Er Von dem Lutherthumb abgetretten, und sich zu der Catholischen Kyrchen bekennet hat.'' (trans. "a thorough examination of his motives why he has deviated from Lutheranism and confessed to the Catholic church") * 1663: ''Türcken-Schrifft Von den Ursachen der Türkischen Überziehung.'' (trans. Writing on the Turks: Of the causes of the Turkish invasion") * 1664: ''Kehr-Wisch Zu Abkehrung des Ungeziefers Mit welchem seine wolgemeinte Tückenschrifft Christianus Chemnitius hat wollen verfasst machen.'' (trans. "A Sweeping of the nonsense with which Christianus Chemnitius has wanted to fill his well-intended writing on the Turks") * 1664: ''Zerbrochene Triumphs-Wagen auff welchem er Uber die Lutheraner triumphirend einzufahren ihm im Traum vorkommen lassen.'' (trans. "The Broken Triumph Wagon, over which he triumphantly can tell the Lutherans it can happen in a dream") * 1664: ''Christen-Schrifft Von dem herrlichen Kennzeichen deß Volkes Gottes.'' (trans. "That the Christian scriptures are the lovely mark of God's people") * 1664: ''Und Scheffler redet noch! Daß ist Johannis Schefflers Schutz-Rede Für sich und seine Christen-Schrifft.'' (trans. "And Scheffler still speaks! That Johann Scheffler's protecting speech for himself and his Christian scriptures") * 1665: ''Kommet her und Sehet mit vernünfftigen Augen wie Joseph und die Heiligen bey den Catholischen geeehret.'' (trans. "Come and Behold, glorified with reasonable eyes as Joseph and the Saints by the Catholics") * 1665: ''Der Lutheraner und Calvinisten Abgott der Vernunfft entblösset dargestellt.'' (trans. "The God of Reason of the Lutherans and Calvinists shown denuded.") * 1665: ''Gülden-Griff Welcher Gestalt alle Ketzer auch von dem Ungelehrtesten leichtlich können gemeistert werden.'' * 1666: ''Des Römischen Bapists Oberhauptmannschaft über die gantze allgemeine Kirche Christi.'' (trans. "The Roman Baptists' leadership of the entire general Church of Christ") * 1667: ''Johannis Schefflers Gründliche Außführung Daß die Lutheraner auf keine weise noch wege ihren Glauben in der Schrifft zu zeigen vermögen und ihr Gott ein blosser Wahn Bild oder Ding ihrer Vernunfft sey.'' (trans. "A thorough handling that the Lutherans have no routes to their faith in the Scriptures to show their God as either a mere hallucination or a thing of reason") * 1670: ''Kurtze Erörterung Der Frage Ob die Lutheraner in Schlesien der in Instrumento Pacis denen Augsburgischen Confessions-Verwandten verliehenen Religions-Freyheit sich getrösten können.'' (trans. "A short discussion of the question whether religious liberty can exist with the Lutherans in Silesia where the Augsburg Confessions have been accorded an Instrument of Peace") * 1670: ''Christiani Conscientiosi Sendschreiben An Alle Evangelische Universitäten in welchem er seine Gewissens-Scrupel proponirt.'' (trans. "To all conscientious Christians: A Letter to all Protestant Universities in which he proposes his scruples of conscience") * 1671: ''Johann Schefflers Erweiß Daß der gröste Hauffe die rechte Kirche sey; Und man sich kurtzumb zu der Catholischen Kirche begeben musse wo man ewig Seelig werden wil.'' (trans. "Johann Scheffler's knowledge that the greatest home the true church is—to go to the Catholic church where you will be forever blessed") * 1672: ''J. E. InformationSchreiben Wegen des Fegefeuers an E. V. In welchem unüberwindlich erwiesen wird daß mehr als zwey Orte der Seelen nach dem Tode und ein Fegefeuer sey.'' (trans. "An informative letter on Purgatory, proving insurmountably the more than two places of the soul after death and purgatory") * 1673: ''Hierothei Boranowsky Gerechtfertigter Gewissens-Zwang Oder Erweiß daß man die Ketzer zum wahren Glauben zwingen könne und solle.'' (trans. Boranowsky's The Justified Coercion of Conscience, or the knowledge of what could and should force heretics to the true faith") * 1675: ''Johannis Schefflers Alleiniges Him lreich Das ist Abweisung Des schädlichen Wahns daß man wol Seelig werden könne wenn man gleich nicht Catholisch wird.'' (trans. "Johann Scheffler's The Kingdom of Heaven alone rejects the harmful delusion that you can be saved if you are not Catholic") * 1675: ''D. J. Schefflers Vernünfftiger Gottes-Dienst.'' (trans. "J. Scheffler's Reasonable Service to God") * 1675: ''Der Catholisch gewordene Bauer Und Lutherische Doctor'' (trans. "The Catholic becomes a farmer and Lutheran Doctor") * 1677: ''Ecclesiologia Oder Kirche-Beschreibung.'' (''trans. "The Words of the Church, or Description of the Church")

References

Notes

External links

* *
Selections of the Cherubinic Wanderer with bilingual audio recording.

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Silesius, Angelus 1624 births 1677 deaths People from Austrian Silesia Clergy from Wrocław Roman Catholic mystics Christian writers Converts to Roman Catholicism from Lutheranism Former Lutherans German Catholic poets German people of Polish descent 17th-century German Roman Catholic priests 17th-century German poets 17th-century German physicians 17th-century Christian mystics German medical writers German male poets Physicians from Wrocław