Giovanni Battista Scaramelli (24 November 1687 – 11 January 1752) was an Italian Jesuit,

ethicist An ethicist is one whose judgment on ethics and ethical codes has come to be trusted by a specific community, and (importantly) is expressed in some way that makes it possible for others to mimic or approximate that judgment. Following the advice of ...

, and ascetical writer.

Biography

He was born at

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

and died at

Macerata Macerata () is a city and ''comune'' in central Italy, the county seat of the province of Macerata in the Marche region. It has a population of about 41,564. History The historical city centre is on a hill between the Chienti and Potenza ...

in 1752. He entered the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

on 21 September 1706. He devoted himself to preaching and the ministry for fifteen years.

Legacy

According to Dominican theologian Jordan Aumann, Scaramelli was the first to use the term "asceticism" in contradistinction to the older word mystical after the term had been introduced by the Franciscan friar named Dobrosielski into the Latin usage of western theology in 1655. Scaramelli's work on ethics in his ''Directorium Asceticum'' has stood the test of time and integrates well with the evidence from modern psychology.

Writings

*''Vita di Suor Maria Crocifissa Satellico Monaca francescana nel monastero di monte Nuovo'' (1750) *''Discernimento de' spiriti per il retto regolamento delle azione proprie ed altrui. Operetta utile specialemente ai Direttori delle anime'' (1753) *''Direttorio ascetico in cui s'insegna il modo di condurre l'Anime per vie ordinarie della grazia alla perfezione christiana, indirizzato ai direttori della Anime'' (1752) (English edition ''Directorium Asceticum'') *''Il direttorio mistico indirizzato a' direttori di quelle anime che Iddio conduce per la via della contemplazione'' (1754) *''Dottrina di S. Giovanni della Croce'' (1860)

His books online

works of Scaramelli at archive.org

Notes

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scaramelli, Giovanni Battista 1687 births 1752 deaths Writers from Rome Italian male writers 18th-century philosophers 18th-century Italian philosophers Catholic philosophers 18th-century Italian Roman Catholic theologians 18th-century Italian Jesuits Jesuit theologians