Bernard Bolzano: A New Evaluation of His Thought and His Circle

This book explores the ethical, philosophical, and social legacy of Bernard Bolzano (1781–1848), highlighting the theological element of his thought and its influence on key thinkers such as Vincenc Zahradník and Anton Krombholz. It emphasizes connections between Bolzano's legacy and the reform movement of the Czech Catholic clergy, highlighting his ideas' resonance in Czech Catholic modernism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Format: Hardback
Length: 170 pages
Publication date: 15 September 2022
Publisher: Lexington Books

This book delves into the profound ethical, philosophical, and social legacy of Bernard Bolzano (1781–1848), emphasizing the theological dimension of his thought. Bolzano's influence extended to several influential thinkers, primarily Catholic priests, including Vincenc Zahradník, Josef Michael Fesl, Anton Krombholz, František Schneider, and their followers. Zahradník, in collaboration with others, co-founded a significant professional Czech periodical, contributing significantly to the development of modern Czech theological terminology. Anton Krombholz, after 1848, became a prominent figure in Austrian education, working at the Vienna Ministry of Education. Building upon her previous comprehensive Czech monograph, the author now showcases additional new manuscripts from Krombholz's literary legacy. She highlights the connections between Bolzano's legacy and the reform movement of the Czech Catholic clergy, emphasizing how Bolzano's ideas resonated in Czech Catholic modernism during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Despite the tumultuous national development of Czechs and Germans in nineteenth-century Bohemia, Bolzano's vision of peaceful coexistence between the two nationalities in Bohemia played a pivotal role in preserving the unity of the Catholic Church during such ethnically complex times. The author's theological perspective drew upon the works of Jan Milíč Lochman (1922–2004), a scholar who not only addressed contemporary ecumenical themes but also delved into the spiritual legacy of the Czech National Revival.

This book delves into the profound ethical, philosophical, and social legacy of Bernard Bolzano (1781–1848), emphasizing the theological dimension of his thought. Bolzano's influence extended to several influential thinkers, primarily Catholic priests, including Vincenc Zahradník, Josef Michael Fesl, Anton Krombholz, František Schneider, and their followers. Zahradník, in collaboration with others, co-founded a significant professional Czech periodical, contributing significantly to the development of modern Czech theological terminology. Anton Krombholz, after 1848, became a prominent figure in Austrian education, working at the Vienna Ministry of Education. Building upon her previous comprehensive Czech monograph, the author now showcases additional new manuscripts from Krombholz's literary legacy. She highlights the connections between Bolzano's legacy and the reform movement of the Czech Catholic clergy, emphasizing how Bolzano's ideas resonated in Czech Catholic modernism during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Despite the tumultuous national development of Czechs and Germans in nineteenth-century Bohemia, Bolzano's vision of peaceful coexistence between the two nationalities in Bohemia played a pivotal role in preserving the unity of the Catholic Church during such ethnically complex times. The author's theological perspective drew upon the works of Jan Milíč Lochman (1922–2004), a scholar who not only addressed contemporary ecumenical themes but also delved into the spiritual legacy of the Czech National Revival.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793653055