Augustine Reding (born at
Lichtensteig
Lichtensteig is a municipality in the ''Wahlkreis'' (constituency) of Toggenburg in the canton of St. Gallen in Switzerland.
History
Lichtensteig was founded by the counts of Toggenburg in the early 13th century, first mentioned in 1228 as ''Lie ...
, Switzerland, 10 August 1625; died at
Einsiedeln
Einsiedeln () is a municipalities of Switzerland, municipality and Districts of Switzerland#Schwyz, district in the canton of Schwyz in Switzerland known for its monastery, the Benedictine Einsiedeln Abbey, established in the 10th century.
Histor ...
, 13 March 1692) was a Swiss
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
, the
Prince-Abbot of Einsiedeln, and theological writer.
Life
After completing the classics at the Benedictine College of Einsiedeln, Reding joined the Order of St. Benedict, December 26, 1641. He went on to teach philosophy at the early age of twenty-four. Reding was ordained priest and appointed master of novices in 1649, and obtained the degrees of Doctor of Philosophy and Theology at the
University of Freiburg im Breisgau in 1654. He was professor of theology at the
Benedictine University of Salzburg from 1648 to 1654. He became dean (prior) at Einsiedeln in 1658, and was finally elected Prince-Abbot of Einsiedeln on July 17, 1670.
At Einsiedeln he built the still existing choir, the confession-church, and St. Magdalene's chapel (1674–84). In 1675 his monastery took charge of the college at
Bellinzona
Bellinzona ( , ; ; is a municipality, a List of towns in Switzerland, historic Swiss town, and the capital of the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The town is famous for its Three Castles of Bellinzona, three castles (Castelgrande, Montebello, Sa ...
, which was conducted by the monks of Einsiedeln until its suppression in 1852. He watched carefully over discipline, and insisted on a thorough intellectual training of his monks. During his time the conventuals of Einsiedeln increased from 53 to 100, many of whom gained renown as professors at various institutions of learning.
Works
His numerous theological writings are learned, but his style is dry and at times obscure. His chief work is ''Theologia scholastica universa'' (13 vols., Einsiedeln, 1687), based on the ''Summa'' of
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...
.
Other works are:
*''Veritas inextincta concilii Tridentini'' (5 vols., ib., 1677–84), a defence of the
Council of Trent
The Council of Trent (), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento), now in northern Italy, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation at the time, it has been described as the "most ...
against
Johann Heinrich Heidegger
Johann Heinrich Heidegger (July 1, 1633 – July 18, 1698), Switzerland, Swiss theologian, was born at Bäretswil, in the Canton of Zürich.
He studied at University of Marburg, Marburg and at University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, where he became ...
;
*''Vindex veritatis centuriæ primæ annalium ecclesiasticorum Baronii'' (ib., 1680), a justification of the first century of the ''
Annales Ecclesiastici
(full title ; "Ecclesiastical annals from Christ's nativity to 1198"), consisting of twelve folio volumes, is a history of the first 12 centuries of the Christian Church, written by Caesar Baronius and Odorico Raynaldi and published betwee ...
'' of
Baronius
Cesare Baronio, C.O. (as an author also known as Caesar Baronius; 30 August 1538 – 30 June 1607) was an Italian Oratorian, cardinal and historian of the Catholic Church. His best-known works are his ''Annales Ecclesiastici'' ("Ecclesiast ...
;
*''Œcumenicæ cathedræ apostolicæ authoritas'' (ib., 1669), a defence of
papal supremacy
Papal supremacy is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that the Pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, the visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful, and as priest of the ...
against the
Gallican Liberties; and some works of less importance.
References
;Attribution
* The entry cites:
**
Gall Morel
Gall Morel, O.S.B., was a poet, scholar, aesthete, and educationist, born at St. Gallen, Switzerland, on 24 March 1803; died at the Abbey of Einsiedeln on 16 December 1872.
Biography
Benedict Morel was born on 24 March 1803 in St. Gallen, Sw ...
, ''Augustin Reding, Fürstabt von Einsiedeln, als Gelehrter u. Schulmann'' (Einsiedeln, 1861);
**
Hugo von Hurter
The von Hurter family belonged to the Swiss nobility; in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries three of them were known for their conversions to Roman Catholicism, their ecclesiastical careers in Austria and their theological writings.
Friedric ...
, ''Nomenclator'', IV (Innsbruck, 1910), 332-5
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reding, Augustine
1625 births
1692 deaths
Academic staff of the University of Salzburg
Swiss Benedictines
Swiss abbots
17th-century Swiss Roman Catholic theologians