BERTI, GIOVANNI LORENZO. — Theologian of the eremitical Order of s. Agostino, a distinguished representative of the Augustinian school in the eighteenth century. Born at Seravezza on 27 June 1696, died at Florence on 26 May 1766. He entered the Augustinian Hermits as a young man (1711), taught philosophy and theology at Pavia, Florence, Rome, and Siena, was prefect of the Angelica Library, and assistant general of his Order. Benedict XIV held him in the highest esteem. At the command of his superior general, Antonio Schiaffinati, he wrote a comprehensive synthesis of theology: De theologicis disciplinis libri 37, expounding the thought of s. Agostino and the Augustinian tradition—an erudite work of sound doctrine that continues to command the esteem of scholars. It went through numerous editions. In 1765 Girolamo Buzi added the Luoghi teologici and produced an abridgment that circulated widely as a school textbook.
Controversies arose; some, especially in France, thought that B. had revived Baianist and Jansenist doctrines. Giovanni d'Yse de Saleon even wrote a work entitled: Le baianisme et le jansénisme ressuscités dans les livres de Bellelli et B.; Giov. Giuseppe Languer, archbishop of Sens, wrote in the same vein, and two letters were addressed to Benedict XIV requesting his intervention. The Pontiff had De theologicis disciplinis examined; it was instead commended for its erudition and sound doctrine. At the same Pontiff’s suggestion, B. replied to his accusers: to the first with the writing Augustinianum systema de gratia ab iniqua baianismi et iansenismi erroris insimulatione vindicatum; to the second with the other In opusculum inscriptum: I. Languet iudicium de operibus FF. Bellelli et B. aequissima expostulatio, both of which were reprinted several times.
Despite B.’s vigorous response and the Pope’s support, his adversaries did not fall silent, and B. found himself compelled to continue the controversy.
Appointed professor of history at the University of Pisa, he wrote Historia ecclesiastica seu dissertationes ecclesiasticae (4 vols., Bassano 1769); concerning this work, he was accused by Fr. Francesco Antonio Zaccaria of having imitated the Historia of Alessandro Natale. B. defended himself and prepared an abridgment of his history: Historiae eccl. breviarium, which circulated widely and was later continued by Tirso Lopez up to 1888 (Valladolid 1889), and subsequently revised and brought up to date by A. Saraceno of the Oratory, who published it under his own name (Turin 1892).
In addition to the works cited, cf. De rebus gestis s. Augustini commentarius (Venice 1769); to Dissertazioni storico-dommatiche (Florence 1759); Panegirici sacri e profani (there 1764).