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Ian Theodor Beelen

Ian Theodor Beelen (b. at Amsterdam, 12 January 1807; d. at Leuven, 31 March 1884) was a Dutch exegete and orientalist.

Life

After a course of studies at Rome, crowned by the Doctorate of Theology, he was in 1836 appointed Professor of Sacred Scripture and Semitic languages in the recently reorganized Catholic University of Leuven. This position he held till 1876, when he resigned his place to his pupil, Thomas Joseph Lamy.

Beelen revived Oriental studies in Belgium, and introduced into that country Oriental printing by means of a complete font of Hebrew, Syriac, Arabic, and Ethiopic type, which he purchased. In recognition of his merits as a scholar he was made domestic prelate of the pope, consultor of the Congregation of the Index, honorary canon of Liège, and Knight of the Order of Leopold (Belgium).

Works

He was the author of the following Biblical works, among which his commentary on the Epistle to the Romans is especially esteemed:

  • (Leuven, 1845);
  • (ib., 1849; 2nd ed., ib., 1852, entitled: )
  • with Greek and Latin text (2 vols., ib., 1850–55; 2nd ed., without Greek and Latin texts, ib., 1864)
  • (ib., 1854)
  • "Grammatica graecitatis N. T." (ib., 1857)

and in Dutch,

  • "Rules for a new Translation of the N. T." (Leuven, 1858);
  • a translation of the N. T. made in accordance with these rules (3 vols., ib., 1859–69);
  • "The Epistles and Gospels of the Ecclesiastical Year," with annotations (ib., 1870);
  • translation of the Psalms, with annotations (2 vols., ib., 1877–78);
  • translation of Proverbs and of Ecclesiasticus (ib., 1879).

He also published two works in the field of Oriental scholarship:

  • (3 vols., Leuven, 1841–1843)
  • (ib., 1856), in which he defends the genuineness of these two letters.

References

Further reading

  • Bogaert, Pierre-Maurice (2021). "Jean-Théodore Beelen. De l'exégèse biblique aux langues orientales chrétiennes (1835–1875)" [Jean-Théodore Beelen. From biblical exegesis to Christian Oriental languages (1835–1875)]. In: Courtois, Luc (ed.). Les études orientales à l'Université de Louvain depuis 1834. Hommes et réalisations. Brussels: Éditions Safran, , pp. 49-72.
  • Kenis, Leo (2021). "Le renouveau de l'orientalisme à l'Université catholique de Louvain. La réintroduction des études orientalistes à la Faculté de théologie par Jean-Théodor Beelen et ses successeurs" [The revival of Eastern studies at the Catholic University of Louvain. The reintroduction of Eastern studies at the Faculty of Theology by Jean-Théodor Beelen and his successors]. In: Courtois, Luc (ed.). Les études orientales à l'Université de Louvain depuis 1834. Hommes et réalisations. Brussels: Éditions Safran, , pp. 29-48.