PETERS, GERLACH. - One of the most remarkable authors of the « Devotio moderna »; b. at Deventer in 1378, he entered as a regular canon of St. Augustine at Windesheim, where he d. in 1411.

Apart from two letters in the « thiois » dialect dealing with the spiritual life, P. wrote two short works in Latin, the Brevilogium and the Solilogium ignitum (Latin ed. by J. Stange, Cologne 1849). The latter especially enjoyed great fame and was translated into various European languages. From it there emanates a spiritual doctrine which, on a solid ascetic foundation, takes a high mystical flight; in it one recognizes the disciple of Ruysbroeck, who nevertheless truly lived what he wrote. P. died in the odor of sanctity after having endured great physical sufferings.

Bibliography2 works

BIBL.: Vita in J. Busch, Chronicon Windeshemense, ed. K. Grube, Halle 1886, pp. 156-64; L. Reypens, Le sommet de la contemplation mystique chez G. P., in Revue d'ascétique et de mystique, 5 (1924), pp. 33-43.

Bernardo Spaapen

@incollection{ec9_peters_gerlach, author = {Spaapen, Bernardo}, title = {Peters, gerlach}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {IX}, pages = {1283}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/peters-gerlach} }

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Peters, Gerlach

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