St. Albertus Magnus (1193-1280)

Feast Day: November 15

Doctor of the Church: 1931

Saint Albertus Magnus is regarded as the greatest German philosopher and theologian of the Middle Ages and one of the greatest minds in history. He discerned his vocation to the Dominican order after hearing the preaching of Bl. Jordan of Saxony.

He wrote 38 volumes exploring every area of science. He was so passionate about natural sciences that he was sometimes criticized for not studying theology enough. He had a healthy view of science as distinct from, though not in opposition to, theology – which was unique for his time. Albertus also wrote extensively on music theory.

Perhaps what stands out most was Albertus’ expertise in Aristotelian philosophy. We have many of Aristotle’s writings today because they were preserved and passed down by Albertus. He was also one of the first to apply Aristotle’s philosophical methods to theology, which gave rise to what is known as “scholastic theology” — a straightforward, logical approach to Divine Revelation. One of Albertus’ students became known as the greatest scholastic theologian in history — St. Thomas Aquinas.

Renowned for his intelligence, Albertus was referred to as “Magnus” (great) before his death. He was made provincial of his order and eventually named a bishop. His faithful referred to him as “Boots the Bishop” because he kept to the Dominican rule of poverty so strictly that he wouldn’t ride a horse. Instead he walked throughout his huge diocese. He retired from being a bishop after only three years to return to a professor’s life.

When Aquinas died, Albertus said that the “light of the Church” had been extinguished. He often cried remembering his student. The brilliant Dominican friar lived well into his 80s and died after bearing the heavy cross of losing his memory. Both Albertus and his student, Aquinas, are among the 33 Doctors of the Church.

This column is produced for Legatus by the Dead Theologians Society, a Catholic apostolate for high school age teens and college age young adults. On the web: deadtheologianssociety.com.