JOHN OF DAMBACH. - Dominican theologian, b. in 1288 (1289?) at Dambach in Alsace, d. 3 Oct. (?) 1372 probably at Freiburg.

A Dominican from 1300, G. studied at Strasbourg and at Cologne, where he had excellent masters and the faithful friends Venturino da Bergamo and Tauler. He was with Eckhart and Nicholas of Strasbourg in 1327. Driven out with his confreres from Strasbourg (1338), he took refuge at Basel, continued his studies at Bologna (1341) and obtained at Montpellier the mastership of theology (1347). Sent by the general chapter of Bologna (1347) to the general study of Prague, where he taught for a short time, D. was sent by Charles IV to Avignon (1348), where he remained perhaps for 2 years. From 1350 to 1357 at Paris, he resided from 1357 at Strasbourg, intent on his literary works.

Personally pious and gentle, a fine and acute observer of men and things, G. proposes a very rigid doctrine with nominalistic tendencies. As an author he is pre-eminently a compiler. His principal writing De consolatione theologiae had great influence on the religious life of the late Middle Ages and was circulated in many copies as far as the North Sea and as far as Spain, and constitutes a model for the consolatory literature that reached its apogee during the schism. With grounds for consolation drawn from theology, G. seeks to overcome his own sorrow and that of others.

Writings: De consolatione theologiae II. 15 (from 1340 to 1365); De sensibilibus deliciis Paradisi; De culpa et Gratia; Exhortatio ad Carolinum IV. Moreover the following works are attributed to him: De amore virtutum, De privilegio exemptorum, De simonia claustralium, De proprietate mendicantium, De quantitate indulgentiarum, De virtute indulgentiarum, Responsiones, De moderatione quartae, De redemptionibus.

Bibliography5 works

BIBL.: Quétif-Echard, I, pp. 667-70; II, p. 821; A. Auer, Joh. v. Dambach u. die Tristbächer vom 11. bis 16. Jahrhundert, Münster 1928; J. Koch, s. v. in Verfasserlexikon, II, coll. 589-590; G. M. Löhr, Die Mendicantenarmut im Dominikanerorden im 14. Jhr., nach den Schriften von Joh. v. D. und Joh. Dominici, in Divus Thomas, 18 (Freiburg 1940), pp. 385-427.

Angelo Walz

@incollection{ec6_giovanni_di_dambach, author = {Walz, Angelo}, title = {Giovanni di Dambach}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VI}, pages = {552--553}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1951}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/giovanni-di-dambach} }

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John of Dambach

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