COHAUSS, Otto. - German Jesuit, apologetic and ascetical writer, b. at Nordwalde (Westphalia) on 1 Sept. 1872, d. at Danzig on 3 June 1938. Before entering the Society of Jesus in 1894, he had engaged in business. After his studies, he first devoted himself to popular missions; but, owing to poor health, he withdrew and devoted himself to preaching, giving mainly spiritual exercises and religious conferences at Cologne, Berlin, Breslau, etc.
He wrote many articles for magazines and popular booklets (e.g., the series: Idole des XX. Jahrhunderts, Cologne 1911; 2nd ed. 1912; 4th ed. 1921). Of his more important works, the following may be mentioned: Das moderne Denken (1910); Im Gefolge Jesu (Warendorf 1915, frequently reprinted and translated; meditations for Catholic teachers); Paulus. Ein Buch für Priester (1918; 3rd ed. 1920); Jesus Christus, der König der Welt (Sey 1926; 3rd ed. 1920); Die Frömmigkeit Jesu Christi (Baden 1929; 2nd ed. 1930); Maria in ihrer Uride und Wirklichkeit. Die zweite Eva (Limburg a. d. L. 1938). Of interest is his application of scholarly studies to spiritual life in the series of meditations on Holy Scripture: Betrachtungen über die Hl. Schrift: I, Bilder aus der Urkunde (Leipzig 1921); II, Blätter aus dem Lebensbuche Sauls (Vienna 1921); III, Der erlöste Mensch. Eine Erklärung des Römerbriefs (Vienna 1923). He also wrote a popular commentary on the Apocalypse: Seherblicke auf Patmos (Aachen 1927) and on the Acts of the Apostles: Apostelgeschichte (Herder’s Bible Commentary, XII, II, Freiburg in Br. 1936; 2nd ed. 1937).