Abraham Heidanus
Encyclopedia
Abraham Heidanus (1597–1678) was a Dutch Calvinist minister and controversialist, sympathetic to Cartesianism
.
in the Palatinate, son of Gaspar van der Heiden the Younger, a Reformed minister and Counter-Remonstrant who moved to Amsterdam
in 1608. Abraham studied theology at the University of Leiden from 1617, travelled to Heidelberg
, Geneva
and Paris, and was influenced by Ramism
and Jean Daillé
. He returned to an appointment as minister in Naarden in 1623, moving to Leiden in 1627.
In 1648 Heidanus was appointed professor of theology at the University of Leiden. In 1650 he invited Johannes Cocceius
to join him on the faculty there. Battle lines were being drawn up for an extended series of controversies, in which Gisbertus Voetius
of Utrecht took the other side.
In 1655 Johannes Hoornbeeck contributed to the debate between Voetians and Cocceians a sabbatarian pamphlet. Heidanus wrote De Sabbate (1658 in Latin, later in Dutch) in reply; Andreas Essenius
attacked Heidanus, and Cocceius became drawn in, to what became a long controversy.
The position Heidanus held for decades as leader of Leiden Cartesianism
eventually led to his dismissal by the university in 1676. This happened after he with Burchard de Volder
and Christophorus Wittichius published a rebuttal of the university's condemnation of Cartesian and Cocceian views.
Cartesianism
Cartesian means of or relating to the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes—from his name—Rene Des-Cartes. It may refer to:*Cartesian anxiety*Cartesian circle*Cartesian dualism...
.
Life
He was born in FrankenthalFrankenthal
Frankenthal is a town in southwestern Germany, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.- History :Frankenthal was first mentioned in 772. In 1119 an Augustinian monastery was built here, the ruins of which — known, after the founder, as the Erkenbertruine — still stand today in the town...
in the Palatinate, son of Gaspar van der Heiden the Younger, a Reformed minister and Counter-Remonstrant who moved to Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
in 1608. Abraham studied theology at the University of Leiden from 1617, travelled to Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
and Paris, and was influenced by Ramism
Ramism
Ramism was a collection of theories on rhetoric, logic and pedagogy based on the teachings of Petrus Ramus, a French academic, philosopher and Huguenot convert who was murdered in 1572.According to Jonathan Israel, Ramism-Development:...
and Jean Daillé
Jean Daillé
Jean Daillé was a French Huguenot minister and Biblical commentator. He is mentioned in James Aitken Wylie's History of Protestantism as author of an Apology for the French Reformed Churches.-Life:...
. He returned to an appointment as minister in Naarden in 1623, moving to Leiden in 1627.
In 1648 Heidanus was appointed professor of theology at the University of Leiden. In 1650 he invited Johannes Cocceius
Johannes Cocceius
Johannes Cocceius , Dutch theologian, was born at Bremen.-Life:After studying at Hamburg and the University of Franeker, where Sixtinus Amama was one of his teachers, he became in 1630 professor of biblical philology at the Gymnasium illustre in his native town...
to join him on the faculty there. Battle lines were being drawn up for an extended series of controversies, in which Gisbertus Voetius
Gisbertus Voetius
Gisbertus Voetius was a Dutch Calvinist theologian.-Life:...
of Utrecht took the other side.
In 1655 Johannes Hoornbeeck contributed to the debate between Voetians and Cocceians a sabbatarian pamphlet. Heidanus wrote De Sabbate (1658 in Latin, later in Dutch) in reply; Andreas Essenius
Andreas Essenius
Andreas Essenius was a Dutch Reformed theologian, controversialist and academic. He became professor of theology at the University of Utrecht.-Life:...
attacked Heidanus, and Cocceius became drawn in, to what became a long controversy.
The position Heidanus held for decades as leader of Leiden Cartesianism
Cartesianism
Cartesian means of or relating to the French philosopher and mathematician René Descartes—from his name—Rene Des-Cartes. It may refer to:*Cartesian anxiety*Cartesian circle*Cartesian dualism...
eventually led to his dismissal by the university in 1676. This happened after he with Burchard de Volder
Burchard de Volder
Burchard de Volder was a Dutch natural philosopher.Born in a Mennonite family in Amsterdam, he first studied in Utrecht and from 1670 he studied philosophy at the University of Leiden under Franz de le Boë...
and Christophorus Wittichius published a rebuttal of the university's condemnation of Cartesian and Cocceian views.