CANDIDUS of FULDA (BRUUN). - Theologian, philosopher, hagiographer, poet and artist, born in the second half of the 8th century, died in 845.
He Latinized the Germanic name Bruun into Candidus, and some have confused him with the contemporary Anglo-Saxon Wizzone (Wizo), who in the Palatine Academy received from Alcuin the nickname of Candidus.
He lived at Fulda and in 822 succeeded Rabanus Maurus (822-842) in the direction of that famous school. A skilled artist, he painted the apse of the Basilica where, in 819, the relics of St Boniface were translated (Vita metr. s. Egiliis, XVII, 131-137).
His literary output is important: 1) Life of St Egilius, in prose (PL 105, 381-402, critical ed. by G. Waitz in MGH, Script., XV, 221-233) and in verse (PL 105, 401-422; critical ed. by E. Dümmler in MGH, Poet., II, 94-117); 2) Opusculum de Passione Domini, in 20 chapters (ed. B. Pez: PL 106, 57-104); 3) Epistola Candidi Nunn Christus corporeis oculis Deum videre potuerit (ed. B. Pez: PL 106, 103-108; critical ed. by E. Dümmler, in MGH, Epist., IV, 557-61); 4) Life of Baugulf, second abbot of Fulda, which has not come down to us.
He occupies a special place in the early scholasticism for the 12 philosophical-theological fragments known under the title of Dicta Candidi, first published by B. Hauréau (Hist. de la philos. scolastique, I, Paris 1872, pp. 131-138).
Recent criticism (cf. Bull. de théol. anc. et méd., I, no. 127) distinguishes them into three parts: 1) Dictum I, originally in the form of a letter to Louis the Pious and Eginhard, is certainly authentic (it was published by Frobenio Forster among the apocrypha of Alcuin: PL 101, 1359 sg.); 2) Dicta II-VIII, referring to the “categories,” are of doubtful attribution, perhaps by his disciples; 3) Dicta IX-XII show more affinity with Dictum I and may therefore be considered authentic. A thorough study of the manuscript tradition is still lacking.
The most interesting are the first, which deals with the human soul as the image of God, and the last, which represents, for the Middle Ages, the first attempt at a dialectical demonstration of the existence of God (Quo argumento colligendum sit Deum esse). The argument is based on the greatness and hierarchy of beings, which demand a being greater than man, omnipotent, God. Candidus’ thought is inspired by Claudianus Mamertus and especially by St Augustine.