HEINRICH, JOHANN BAPTIST

Neo-Thomist theologian; b. Mainz, April 15, 1816;d. Mainz, Feb. 9, 1891. He studied law at Giessen and on Dec. 27, 1837 received a doctor's diploma in both civil and Canon law. In 1840 he began a teaching career in law at the University of Giessen. He was attracted to the ministry and in 1842–43 pursued a course of theology in the universities of Tübingen and Freiburg im Breisgau. He entered the seminary at Mainz in 1844, was ordained the following year, and was first assigned to the cathedral at Mainz. In 1851 he became professor of dogmatic theology at the seminary of that diocese. While he continued to teach he received other appointments in the diocese: titular canon in the cathedral chapter in 1855, dean in 1867, and vicar-general in 1868. In 1866 he was made a domestic prelate.

From 1850 until 1890 Heinrich was one of the editors of Der Katholik, a well-known journal of pastoral theology. He was active in the direction of a lay organization called the Piusverein, dedicated to safeguarding religious freedom in Germany. He published six volumes of a treatise on dogmatic theology. The last four volumes of this work, however, were completed by his friend K. Gutberlet, Dogmatische Theologie (10 v. Mainz 1873–1904). Heinrich also wrote a protest against the erroneous teachings of J. dÖllinger; a monograph on German movements seeking to restrict religious freedom; and a study of Christ's existence in history in relation to His divine personality, directed against the doctrine of D. F. strauss and J. E. renan. Finally he wrote, against Nonweiler, a treatise on the Church as the kingdom of God on earth.

Bibliography: e. mangenot, Dictionnaire de théologie catholique, ed. a. vacant et al., 15 v. (Paris 1903–50; Tables Générales 1951–) 6.2:2124–25. l. lenhart, Lexikon für Theologie und Kirche, ed. j. hofer and k. rahner, 10 v. (2d, new ed. Freiburg 1957–65) 5:204.

[c. meyer]