GONET, JEAN-BAPTISTE. - Dominican theologian, born in Béziers ca. 1616, died there on 24 January 1681. He entered the convent of his city at the age of seventeen. In 1640 he became a doctor at the University of Bordeaux, where he taught for more than twenty years. From 1660 to 1669 he interrupted his teaching, apparently because of his conduct in the sharp doctrinal disputes of the time. As soon as he resumed it, he had to leave it again because in 1671 he was elected provincial of Toulouse. After his provincialate he returned to the chair, but only briefly (1675-77). Finally, he retired to Béziers.
Gonet was quite resolute against probabilism, so much so that he approached the "ars regis," though without reaching such extremism. He also held some Gallican-leaning ideas, though they did not seem dangerous at the time. Moreover, he did not oppose the Holy See. His principal work, which met with great favor, is entitled *Clypeus theologiae thomistica contra novos eius impugnatores* (16 vols., Bordeaux 1659-69). By 1680 this complete treatise of dogmatic theology had already seen nine editions. Also noteworthy is the Lyon edition of 1681 in five volumes, edited by J. B. Gonneau, which is the most perfect. The author himself summarized the doctrine of the *Clypeus* in the *Manuale thomistarum seu brevis theologiae thom. cursus in gratiam et commodum studentium* (6 vols., Béziers 1682). Gonet’s moral theology was supplemented by Fr. Maderan: *Supplementum Clypei theologiae thom.* (ms. of the Municipal Library of Bordeaux, no. 154).
