Tilman Pesch
Encyclopedia
Tilman Pesch was a German Jesuit philosopher.
at Friedrichsburg near Münster
; he studied classics two years at Paderborn
, philosophy two years at Bonn
; taught four years at Feldkirch
, Switzerland; studied theology one year at Paderborn and three years at Maria-Laach, after which he made his third year of novitiate at Paderborn. He then taught philosophy at Maria-Laach (1867-69). From 1870 to 1876 he worked in the ministry, and again taught philosophy eight years (1876-84), at the Castle of Bleijenbeek in Afferden
.
Pesch was tireless as a missionary in Germany. He was often arrested under the charge of being a Jesuit. Pesch taught the best in scholasticism
, but appreciated what was good in other systems of philosophy. His Latin writing contain the latest results of natural science applied to the illustration of truth by scholastic methods.
The last fifteen years of his life were devoted entirely to writing and to the ministry. Treatises were: Weltphänomenon (1881); Welträtsel (1884), Seele und Lieb (1893), and Christliche Lebensphilosophie (1895). The last work reached its fourth edition with three years.
Besides scholarly writing, he published popular philosophical and Apologetic
articles and pamphlets. The most important of these were the articles published in the "Germanica" above the pseudonym "Gottlieb"; they were later arranged in two volumes, Briefe aus Hamburg (1883), and Der Krach von Wittenburg (1889), arguing against common criticisms of the Catholic Church.
His most popular book was Das Religiöse Leben, of which thirteen large editions appeared.
Life
He became a Jesuit on 15 October, 1852, and made his novitiateNovitiate
Novitiate, alt. noviciate, is the period of training and preparation that a novice monastic or member of a religious order undergoes prior to taking vows in order to discern whether they are called to the religious life....
at Friedrichsburg near Münster
Münster
Münster is an independent city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also capital of the local government region Münsterland...
; he studied classics two years at Paderborn
Paderborn
Paderborn is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader, which originates in more than 200 springs near Paderborn Cathedral, where St. Liborius is buried.-History:...
, philosophy two years at Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
; taught four years at Feldkirch
Feldkirch, Vorarlberg
- Schools :* Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Feldkirch * Bundeshandelsakademie und Bundeshandelsschule Feldkirch* Bundesoberstufenrealgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Schillerstrasse...
, Switzerland; studied theology one year at Paderborn and three years at Maria-Laach, after which he made his third year of novitiate at Paderborn. He then taught philosophy at Maria-Laach (1867-69). From 1870 to 1876 he worked in the ministry, and again taught philosophy eight years (1876-84), at the Castle of Bleijenbeek in Afferden
Afferden (Limburg)
Afferden is a town in the Dutch province of Limburg. It is a part of the municipality of Bergen , and lies about 25 km southeast of Nijmegen....
.
Pesch was tireless as a missionary in Germany. He was often arrested under the charge of being a Jesuit. Pesch taught the best in scholasticism
Scholasticism
Scholasticism is a method of critical thought which dominated teaching by the academics of medieval universities in Europe from about 1100–1500, and a program of employing that method in articulating and defending orthodoxy in an increasingly pluralistic context...
, but appreciated what was good in other systems of philosophy. His Latin writing contain the latest results of natural science applied to the illustration of truth by scholastic methods.
Works
The literary activity of Pesch began in 1876. He contributed to Philosophia Licensis; Institutiones philosophiæ naturalis (1880); Institutiones logicales (1888); Institutiones psychologicæ (1896-98).The last fifteen years of his life were devoted entirely to writing and to the ministry. Treatises were: Weltphänomenon (1881); Welträtsel (1884), Seele und Lieb (1893), and Christliche Lebensphilosophie (1895). The last work reached its fourth edition with three years.
Besides scholarly writing, he published popular philosophical and Apologetic
Apologetics
Apologetics is the discipline of defending a position through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers Apologetics (from Greek ἀπολογία, "speaking in defense") is the discipline of defending a position (often religious) through the systematic use of reason. Early Christian writers...
articles and pamphlets. The most important of these were the articles published in the "Germanica" above the pseudonym "Gottlieb"; they were later arranged in two volumes, Briefe aus Hamburg (1883), and Der Krach von Wittenburg (1889), arguing against common criticisms of the Catholic Church.
His most popular book was Das Religiöse Leben, of which thirteen large editions appeared.