BILLUART, CHARLES-RENÉ. - Thomist theologian, born at Revin on the Meuse (Ardennes) on 8 Jan. 1685, died there on 20 Jan. 1757. Dominican (1701), he was five times prior in the convent of Revin, and three times pre-vicar provincial of Belgium. He taught at Douai (1710), at Revin (1711-15), then again at Douai, where he successively held the posts of master of students (1715), bachelor (1717-19), vice-regent (1719-21) and regent (1725).
His principal work is the Summa s. Thomas hodiernis Academiarum moribus accommodata (19 vols., Liège 1746-51); to this he added a Supplementum cursus theologiae containing treatises on the work of the six days, the religious state and the mysteries of Christ (published posthumously, ibid. 1759, by his confrere and friend Fr A. Labye, who prefaced it with a brief Life of B.). To make it more easily accessible, from the work, which had many editions, he himself composed a summary: Summa Summae s. Thomas sive compendium theologicum (6 vols., ibid. 1754; Ghent, Würzburg 1765; Venice 1788, Rome 1834, Paris 1884-90, Mondovì 1903). He also wrote various polemical pamphlets in defence of St Thomas and his doctrine, especially concerning the problem of predestination and grace. We may mention: Le Thomisme vengé de sa prétendue condamnation par la constitution Unigenitus (Brussels 1720); Lettre du p. C.R.B. à MM. les docteurs de la faculté de théologie de l'université de Douai (s.l. 1723); Le Thomisme triomphant par le bref « Demissas preces » de Benoît XIII (s.n. 1); Apologie du Thomisme triomphant contre les neuf lettres anonymes qui ont paru depuis peu etc. (Liège 1731). He also left two volumes of sermons, edited by H. Lelièvre: Sermons (Paris 1846). B. was the most illustrious Thomist of his time and perhaps the best-known and most esteemed theologian of the 18th century. Even today his Summa is one of the most consulted manuals of theology. This fame is justly due to his absolute fidelity to the doctrine of St Thomas, the clarity of his exposition and the precision of his language.