WENCK, JOHANNES. - Theologian, b. at Herrenberg (Württemberg), d. in 1460.

Recorded as a priest in 1424, at the end of 1426 he came as "magister artium" from Paris to Heidelberg, where he remained after completing his theological studies as "professor theologiae." He is especially known for the writing De ignota litteratura (1442-43) against Nicholas of Cusa, and even more through the latter's Apologia doctor ignorantia (1449). In his Commentarii on the Aristotelian writings, and more on the Liber de canis, and finally (1455) on Dionysius' De caelesti hierarchia, W. strives, as a decided representative of the via antiqua, to propagate the common foundation of scholastic ideology. Nevertheless he often follows, alongside the commentaries of Albert the Great, a Neoplatonic orientation. His work as a preacher, Memoriale divinorum officiorum (1445), is constantly directed toward the liturgy. The elucidation of W.'s works contained in the Palatine codices of the Vatican is in preparation.

Bibliography3 works

BIBL.: E. Vansteenberg, Le « De ignota litteratura » de Jean W. de Herrenberg contre Nicolai de Case, in Beiträge z. Gesch. d. Philos. d. Mittelalters, 8 (1910), p. 61; G. Ritter, Die Heidelberger Universität, Heidelberg 1936; R. Haubst, J. W. aus Herrenberg als Albertist, in Rech. de théologie anc. et médiévale, 18 (1951), pp. 308-23.

Rodolfo Haubst

@incollection{ec12_wenck_johannes, author = {Haubst, Rodolfo}, title = {Wenck, johannes}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {XII}, pages = {1668}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1954}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/wenck-johannes} }

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Wenck, Johannes

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