Johann Adam Möhler (6 May 1796 – 12 April 1838) was a German

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

. He was born at Igersheim in the Bailiwick of Franconia of the

Teutonic Order The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem, commonly known as the Teutonic Order, is a Catholic religious institution founded as a military society in Acre, Kingdom of Jerusalem. It was formed to aid Christians on ...

(from 1809 on part of

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), and after studying philosophy and theology in the lyceum at

Ellwangen Ellwangen an der Jagst, officially Ellwangen (Jagst), in common use simply Ellwangen () is a town in the district of Ostalbkreis in the east of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. It is situated about north of Aalen. Ellwangen has 25,000 inhabitants ...

, entered the

University of Tübingen The University of Tübingen, officially the Eberhard Karl University of Tübingen (german: Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen; la, Universitas Eberhardina Carolina), is a public research university located in the city of Tübingen, Baden-W� ...

in 1817. Ordained to the priesthood in 1819, he was appointed to a curacy. He returned to Tübingen where he became ''

privatdozent ''Privatdozent'' (for men) or ''Privatdozentin'' (for women), abbreviated PD, P.D. or Priv.-Doz., is an academic title conferred at some European universities, especially in German-speaking countries, to someone who holds certain formal qualific ...

'' in 1825, an associate professor of theology in 1826 and a full professor in 1828. His lectures drew large audiences that included many Protestants. The controversy aroused by his ''Symbolik'' (1832) was such that in 1835 he left for the

University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: link=no, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of ...

, because of polemics with the Protestant Tübingen theologian

Ferdinand Christian Baur Ferdinand Christian Baur (21 June 1792 – 2 December 1860) was a German Protestant theologian and founder and leader of the (new) Tübingen School of theology (named for the University of Tübingen where Baur studied and taught). Following Hegel ...

. In 1838 he was appointed to the deanery of

Würzburg Würzburg (; Main-Franconian: ) is a city in the region of Franconia in the north of the German state of Bavaria. Würzburg is the administrative seat of the '' Regierungsbezirk'' Lower Franconia. It spans the banks of the Main River. Würzbur ...

, but died shortly afterwards. He died young but was very influential for other theologians, such as

Henri de Lubac Henri-Marie Joseph Sonier de Lubac (; 20 February 1896 – 4 September 1991), better known as Henri de Lubac, was a French Jesuit priest and cardinal who is considered one of the most influential theologians of the 20th century. His wri ...

, Yves Congar, and others. As a church historian, he has a more confessional and conservative orientation and organic thinking.

Works

Möhler wrote: *''Die Einheit in der Kirche oder das Princip des Katholicismus, dargestellt im Geiste der Kirchenväter der drei ersten Jahrhunderte'' (Tübingen, 1825). English translation (1995):
Unity in the Church or the Principle of Catholicism: Presented in the Spirit of the Church Fathers of the First Three Centuries
', Peter C. Erb, trans.,

Catholic University of America Press The Catholic University of America Press, also known as CUA Press, is the publishing division of The Catholic University of America. Founded on November 14, 1939, and incorporated on July 16, 1941,Roy J. Deferrari ''Memoirs of the Catholic Univer ...

, Washington, D.C., *''Athanasius der Grosse und die Kirche seiner Zeit, besonders im Kampfe mit dem Arianismus''. In six books (2 volumes, Mainz, 1827). *''Symbolik oder Darstellung der dogmatischen Gegensätze der Katholiken und Protestanten nach ihren Öffentlichen Bekenntnisschriften'' (Mainz, 1832; 8th edition, 1871–72; English translation by S. B. Robertson, 1843) This is a study of doctrinal differences between various Christian confessions. Central in this work is the

anthropology Anthropology is the scientific study of humanity, concerned with human behavior, human biology, cultures, societies, and linguistics, in both the present and past, including past human species. Social anthropology studies patterns of be ...

and

soteriology Soteriology (; el, wikt:σωτηρία, σωτηρία ' "salvation" from wikt:σωτήρ, σωτήρ ' "savior, preserver" and wikt:λόγος, λόγος ' "study" or "word") is the study of Doctrine, religious doctrines of salvation. Salvation ...

and the unity of the Church. *''Neue Untersuchungen der Lehrgegensätze zwischen den Katholiken und Protestanten'' (1834) – New studies of the doctrinal differences between Catholics and Protestants. *''Gesammelte Schriften u. Aufsätze'', edited by Döllinger (1839) *''Patrologie'', with

Franz Xaver Reithmayr Franz Xaver Reithmayr (16 March 1809 – 26 January 1872) was a German Catholic theologian who specialized in New Testament exegesis. He was born in Illkofen, located near Regensburg. He studied theology in Regensburg and at the University of M ...

(1839). A ''Biographie'' by

Balthasar Wörner Balthazar, or variant spellings, may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Balthazar'' (novel), by Lawrence Durrell, 1958 * ''Balthasar'', an 1889 book by Anatole France * ''Professor Balthazar'', a Croatian animated TV series, 1967-1978 ...

was published at Regensburg in 1866. The ''Symbolik'' is his most famous work; the interest excited by it in Protestant circles is shown by the fact that within two years of its appearance it had elicited three replies of considerable importance, those namely of FC Baur, PK Marheineke and KI Nitzsch.

References

External links

Catholic Encyclopedia: Johann Adam Möhler
* Johann Adam Möhler
Vom Geist der Theologie. Gesammelte Aufsätze (German). Hrsg. von Dieter Hattrup. Band 1
Paderborn, 2011. * Johann Adam Möhler
Vom Geist der Theologie. Gesammelte Aufsätze (German). Hrsg. von Dieter Hattrup. Band 2
Paderborn, 2011. * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mohler, Johann Adam 1796 births 1838 deaths People from Main-Tauber-Kreis 19th-century German Catholic theologians German male non-fiction writers 19th-century German male writers University of Tübingen alumni Academic staff of the University of Tübingen Academic staff of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich