The Post-Tridentine Controversies at the Louvain Faculty of Theology: The Correspondence between Judocus Tiletanus and Michael Baius (1568)

Abstract

Josse Ravesteyn, or Judocus Tiletanus, was promoted as a doctor of theology in 1546, acted as participant in the Council of Trent in 1551, and was appointed as inquisitor-general of the Low Countries in 1559. This temporal triptych alone reflects the precipitous degradation of Christian and civil cohesion in the second half of the sixteenth century and how the responsibilities of theologians accordingly changed. Throughout this period, Louvain, its University and its Faculty of Theology were increasingly called upon to provide their expertise to the various appeasement attempts. Inside the Faculty, Tiletanus was also his colleague Michael Baius’ main theological opponent from 1564 onwards; after the Council of Trent came to an end, the former called upon different levels of authority to have the latter’s works and assertions censured, culminating in Pius V’s 1567 bull Ex omnibus afflictionibus. Seeing however how Baius’ confidence and notoriety were left somewhat unscathed, Tiletanus confronted him directly in a personal correspondence made up of six letters in 1568. This article is the first attempt to determine to what extent the Council shaped Tiletanus’ sense of responsibility as a theologian as well as his relationship with Michael Baius.