Rudolf Ritter von Scherer (11 August 1845,

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

– 21 December 1918,

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

) was an Austrian

religious law Religious law includes ethical and moral codes taught by religious traditions. Examples of religiously derived legal codes include Christian canon law (applicable within a wider theological conception in the church, but in modern times distin ...

professor.

Life

Rudolf von Scherer was the son of Anton Ritter von Scherer and of the writer Sophie Ritter von Scherer, née Sockl. He received his doctorate in law in 1867 at the

University of Graz The University of Graz (, formerly: ''Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz'') is a public university, public research university located in Graz, Austria. It is the largest and oldest university in Styria, as well as the second-largest and second-old ...

and was considered a disciple of

Friedrich Maassen Friedrich Bernard Christian Maassen (24 September 1823 – 9 April 1900, age 76) was a German jurist, professor of law, and Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic scholar. Biography Maasen was born in Wismar, Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, ...

, who influenced him in the application of the

historical method Historical method is the collection of techniques and guidelines that historians use to research and write histories of the past. Secondary sources, primary sources and material evidence such as that derived from archaeology may all be draw ...

. Then he began the study of

Catholic theology Catholic theology is the understanding of Catholic doctrine or teachings, and results from the studies of theologians. It is based on canonical scripture, and sacred tradition, as interpreted authoritatively by the magisterium of the Catholi ...

in Graz in 1869 and was ordained as a priest. After three years in pastoral ministry, he was sent to the higher education institution for secular priests the Frintaneum in Vienna, where he received his second doctorate in 1875, this time in theology. He taught at the University of Graz (from 1875), at first

church history Church history or ecclesiastical history as an academic discipline studies the history of Christianity and the way the Christian Church has developed since its inception. Henry Melvill Gwatkin defined church history as "the spiritual side of t ...

, but soon (in 1876) he became the first professor of the newly created Department of Religious Law at the

Faculty of Law A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...

. In 1899 he went to the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

, where he remained until his retirement in 1912. Scherer's major work, the textbook of religious law, ''Handbuch des Kirchenrechtes'', garnered high praise. He published only two of the three planned volumes, the first in 1885 and the second in 1891. His creativity decreased after 1911 because of various physical ailments and also because of being distracted by the discord around the Oath Against Modernism. He was since 1868 a member of the Catholic Student Association AV Guestfalia Tübingen.

Writings

* ''Handbuch des Kirchenrechtes.'' 2 volumes. Moser, Graz 1886/1898
PDF
.

Literature

* * Josef Kremsmair: ''Rudolf Ritter von Scherer. Ein hervorragender Kanonist und seine Haltung zum Antimodernisteneid.'' In: Franz Pototschnig und Alfred Rinnerthaler (Hrsg.): ''Im Dienst von Kirche und Staat. In memoriam Carl Holböck'' (= ''Kirche und Recht.'' Bd. 17). Wien 1985, p. 327-346. * * Bruno Primetshofer: ''Kirchenrecht. Die Kath.-Theol. Fakultät der Universität Wien. Festschrift zum 600-Jahr-Jubiläum.'' Hrsg. von Ernst C. Suttner. Berlin 1984, p. 213-245.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scherer, Rudolf von 1845 births 1918 deaths Canon law jurists 19th-century Austrian Roman Catholic theologians Austrian legal scholars 19th-century Austrian Roman Catholic priests 20th-century Austrian Roman Catholic priests Academic staff of the University of Vienna Academic staff of the University of Graz Cartellverband members 20th-century Austrian Roman Catholic theologians