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Oberthur, Franz, Dr.

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Oberto, Francesco Di

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a noted Roman Catholic theologian, was born at Wurzburg Aug. 6,1745. Patronized by the bishop, Adam Frederick, count of Seixsheim, he was admitted into the Julius Hospital at Wurzburg, where from 1763 to 1771 he studied philosophy, theology, and law, and was afterwards sent by his patron to Rome, in order to complete his studies there. In 1773 he was appointed counselor of curacy and consistory, and in 1774 he was elected professor of dogmatics at Wurtzburg. In 1782 he was appointed spiritual counselor and head of the city schools, in which position he labored especially with a view to reformation. On account of the liberal dogmatic views which Oberthiur expounded in his Idea biblica ecclesiae Dei. a division was caused between him and his bishop. Oberthur was tendered another position instead of his professorship, which offer he, however, refused; but he was finally deprived of his position in 1803, and again in 1809, at the new organization of the university. In 1821 he was appointed as theologian of the chapter, which position he held until his death, Aug. 30, 1831. Oberthor was a very learned man, of a practical and catholic mind, who not only had the wants of the students at heart, but also those of the common people, to enlarge whose ideas was one of his main objects in life. In this his reformatory movement he also perceived the good in those who were not of his own creed, and, as his biographer Ruland states: "Maxime est gavisus laudari ab iis, qui erant aliense confessionis." Oberthur was a fertile writer. He published, Dogmaticae etpolekiae pars una (Wtirzburg, 1776): — idea biblica ecclesiae Dei (1790-1821, 6 vols.): — Biblische Anthropologie (Minster, 1807-10, 4 vols.): — Encyclopcedia (Wurzburg, 1786; Germ. ed. 1828): — Methodologia (1828): — Opera polemica Sanctoruni Pats-lum de veritate religionis Christiance contra Gentiles et Judaeos (ibid. 1777-92, etc., 34 vols.). See Ruland, Series et vita professorun S. S. Theolog., qui Wirceburgi a fund. Academia usque in ann. 1834 docuerunt (ibid. 1835); Dix, in Wetzer und Welte's Kirchen- Lezikon, vol. vii, s.v.; Theologisches Universal-Lexikon, s.v.; Furst, Bibl. Jud. 3:44; Bruhl, Gesch. der Kathol. Literatur Deutschlands (1861), p. 713 sq.; Werner, Gesch. der Kathol. Theologie (see Index). (B. P.)