Patrick Benedict Zimmer
Encyclopedia
Patrick Benedict Zimmer was a Catholic
philosopher and theologian.
and jurisprudence at Dillingen and was ordained a priest on 1 April 1775. In 1777, he became repetitor of Canon law
at the College of St. Jerome at Dillingen, and professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Dillingen
in 1783. He was also appointed pastor of Steinheim in 1791. In 1795 he was dismissed from the faculty of the university, ostensibly because as pastor of Steinheim he should reside at that place, but in reality, because of his extreme idealisism. In 1799 he was appointed professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Ingolstadt, and when this university was removed to Landshut the following year, he was transferred there in the same capacity.
Though Zimmer rendered great service to the Catholic Church and religion by his fearless and successful combat against the Kantian Rationalism which was prevalent at Ingolstadt, he was himself a passionate adherent of the idealistic pantheism
of Schelling
, without, however, compromising his Catholic convictions in practice. To lessen the danger of inculcating his philosophical tenets in his lectures, he was relieved of the professorship of positive theology and given that of Biblical archaeology and exegesis
in 1807. In 1819 he became rector of the university and deputy to the Second Chamber of the Bavarian Parliament. His chief theological work, "Theologiae christianae specialis et theoreticae" (4 parts, Landshut, 1802-6), is to a great extent permeated with Schellingian pantheism.
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
philosopher and theologian.
Life
Zimmer studied the Humanities and philosophy at Ellwangen, theologyTheology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
and jurisprudence at Dillingen and was ordained a priest on 1 April 1775. In 1777, he became repetitor of Canon law
Canon law (Catholic Church)
The canon law of the Catholic Church, is a fully developed legal system, with all the necessary elements: courts, lawyers, judges, a fully articulated legal code and principles of legal interpretation. It lacks the necessary binding force present in most modern day legal systems. The academic...
at the College of St. Jerome at Dillingen, and professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Dillingen
University of Dillingen
The University of Dillingen, at Dillingen an der Donau in southern Germany, existed from 1551 to 1803. It was located in Swabia, then a district of Bavaria.-Foundation:...
in 1783. He was also appointed pastor of Steinheim in 1791. In 1795 he was dismissed from the faculty of the university, ostensibly because as pastor of Steinheim he should reside at that place, but in reality, because of his extreme idealisism. In 1799 he was appointed professor of dogmatic theology at the University of Ingolstadt, and when this university was removed to Landshut the following year, he was transferred there in the same capacity.
Though Zimmer rendered great service to the Catholic Church and religion by his fearless and successful combat against the Kantian Rationalism which was prevalent at Ingolstadt, he was himself a passionate adherent of the idealistic pantheism
Pantheism
Pantheism is the view that the Universe and God are identical. Pantheists thus do not believe in a personal, anthropomorphic or creator god. The word derives from the Greek meaning "all" and the Greek meaning "God". As such, Pantheism denotes the idea that "God" is best seen as a process of...
of Schelling
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph Schelling , later von Schelling, was a German philosopher. Standard histories of philosophy make him the midpoint in the development of German idealism, situating him between Fichte, his mentor prior to 1800, and Hegel, his former university roommate and erstwhile friend...
, without, however, compromising his Catholic convictions in practice. To lessen the danger of inculcating his philosophical tenets in his lectures, he was relieved of the professorship of positive theology and given that of Biblical archaeology and exegesis
Exegesis
Exegesis is a critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially a religious text. Traditionally the term was used primarily for exegesis of the Bible; however, in contemporary usage it has broadened to mean a critical explanation of any text, and the term "Biblical exegesis" is used...
in 1807. In 1819 he became rector of the university and deputy to the Second Chamber of the Bavarian Parliament. His chief theological work, "Theologiae christianae specialis et theoreticae" (4 parts, Landshut, 1802-6), is to a great extent permeated with Schellingian pantheism.
Other works
- "Dissertatio dogmatica de vera et completa potestate eclesiastica illiusque subjecto" (Dillingen, 1784)
- "Fides exsistentiae Dei" (Dillingen, 1791)
- "Philosophische Religionslehre: part I. Lehre von dem Absoluten" (Landshut, 1805)
- "Philosophische Untersuchung über den allgemeinen Verfall des menschlichen Geschlechtes" (Landshut, 1809)
- "Untersuchung uber den Begriff und die Gesetze der Geschichte etc." (Munich, 1817)