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One of the leadingtheologians of the modernCatholic Germanschool and author of the "Enchiridion" universally used, b. 10 Oct., 1819, atLiège; d. 19 June, 1883, atWürzburg. In 1831 hisfather, who was a professor at theLiège University, took him toWürzburg, the original home of thefamily. Here he attended the gymnasium and studiedphilosophy at theuniversity, where he received the Ph. D. degree. In 1838 he entered theWürzburgseminary, went to the German College atRome in 1841, wasordainedpriest in 1844, and the following year took a degree intheology. On his return home he was firstcurate at Hassfurt-on-the-Main, became professor extraordinary ofdogmatic theology atWürzburg in 1848, and ordinary professor in 1854. He continued to occupy this position, in spite of ill-health, till his death. Denzinger was one of the pioneers ofpositive theology and historical dogmatic (Dogmengeschichte) inCatholicGermany. In the generation after Johann Adam Möhler (d. 1838) andDöllinger (1799-1890) he carried on their methods and helped to establish what is the special character of the Germanschool, exact investigation of the historical development oftheology, rather thanphilosophical speculation about the corollaries ofdogma. Nearly all his important works are in the nature of historictheology. The best-known and most useful is his "Enchiridion Symbolorum et Definitionum" (first ed., Würzburg, 1854), a handbook containing a collection of the chief decrees and definitions of councils, list of condemned propositions, etc., beginning with the oldest forms of theApostles' Creed. It has often been republished, with considerable additions, of which the most important are part of theBull defining the Immaculate Conception (Ineffabilis Deus, 1854), the Syllabus of 1864, and the Vatican decrees. After Denzinger's death Professor Ignatius Stahl continued the work of re-editing the "Enchiridion" with additional decrees ofLeo XIII. A revised and enlarged edition (10th ed., Freiburg, 1908), prepared by Clemens Bannwart, S.J., includes decrees ofPius X. Other works are "Ritus Orientalium, Coptorum, Syrorum et Armenorum" (2 vols., Würzburg, 1863-1864), a long treatise on Eastern rites; "Vier Bücher von der religiosen Erkenntniss" (2 vols., Würzburg, 1856-1857), "Ueber die Aechtheit des bisherigen Textes der Ignatianischen Briefe" (Würzburg, 1849), "Die spekulative Theologie Günthers" (Würzburg, 1853). He also wrote a number of shorter treatises, onPhilo Judæus (1840, his first work), on the Immaculate Conception (1855), andpapal infallibility (1870). At the time of his death he was preparing a complete compendium ofdogmatic theology. He edited a number ofmedievaltheological works: Habert, "Theologia Graecorum Patrum vindicata circa materiam gratiae" (1853); De Rubeis, "De peccato originali", (1857); P. Marani, "Divinitas D. N. Jesu Christi" (1859). He was appointed a consultor ofPropaganda for Eastern rites in 1866.
Hurter, Nomenclator Litterarius, III, 1178-1179; Hettinger, Dreifaches Lehramt, Gedachtnissrede auf H.J.D. Denzinger (Freiburg, 1883); Der Katholik (Mainz), 1883, II, 428.
APA citation.Fortescue, A.(1908).Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger. InThe Catholic Encyclopedia.New York: Robert Appleton Company.http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04736b.htm
MLA citation.Fortescue, Adrian."Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger."The Catholic Encyclopedia.Vol. 4.New York: Robert Appleton Company,1908.<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04736b.htm>.
Transcription.This article was transcribed for New Advent by Bob Holmes.
Ecclesiastical approbation.Nihil Obstat. Remy Lafort, Censor.Imprimatur. +John M. Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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