The Index of Saved Academic Reputations: Revisiting Camille Muller's Prohibited Commentary on Humani Generis in Light of His Trial for Misconduct at the Catholic University of Leuven (1950-1954)
In 1953 the book L'encyclique "Humani Generis" et les problèmes scientifiques by the Leuven biologist Camille Muller was placed on the Index of Prohibited Books. In L'Osservatore Romano the action was described as setting an example for Catholic scientists who were not being fait...
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Amsterdam University Press
2022
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| In: |
Trajecta
Year: 2022, Volume: 31, Issue: 2, Pages: 555-577 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | In 1953 the book L'encyclique "Humani Generis" et les problèmes scientifiques by the Leuven biologist Camille Muller was placed on the Index of Prohibited Books. In L'Osservatore Romano the action was described as setting an example for Catholic scientists who were not being faithful to the magisterium. Without much ado, Muller submitted to the decision, and the Catholic University of Leuven withdrew its hands from the affair. Historical research, however, shows that the story is not so straightforward. Although the university as a whole and the theological faculty in particular used this decision to affirm its Catholic orthodoxy, it turns out that the conviction provided an opportunity for the academic council to settle a broader dispute with Muller. In fact, Muller had just gone through a procedure with the rectorate and the Belgian bishops for disciplinary, moral, and doctrinal malpractice; a compromise solution had been reached with the purpose of saving everyone's reputation. The present contribution studies, ma§ inly on the basis of material contained in the archives of rector magnificus Honoré van Waeyenbergh, Muller's condemnation via the Index as a convenient way for the university to find a solution to a wider problem, while keeping its own Catholic reputation intact. |
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| ISSN: | 2665-9484 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Trajecta
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.5117/TRA2022.2.001.BOSS |