John Nider

Drawn from the authors' own words; every quotation links to its place.

Dominican · ?–1438

In Prümmer's Catalogue and Haringer's Index

“Nider, Ioan., O.P., German (d. 1438), an altogether distinguished man, left several very widely circulated works. To moral theology pertain, for example, Formicarius, a work often edited; Praeceptorium divinae legis, that is, a treatise on the ten precepts, Basel 1473 and afterward edited at least seventeen times down to the year 1500, cf. Hain, Repert. II, 11, 780; Tractatus de contractibus mercatorum, Paris 1514; Consolatorium timoratae conscientiae, Paris 1487, and so forth.” — Prümmer, Catalogue of authors

His Moral System, as Our Authors Report It

Every report quoted in the author's own words and linked to its place; point at a name to see his words. Haringer's signs give St. Alphonsus's judgment as Haringer found it in St. Alphonsus's works (his notice, Gury-Ballerini, 1884, p. XI); a sign on a writer the 1884 editor added to the list is the editor's own, and is said to be his.

He wrote before the moral systems were formed (Medina first set out probabilism in 1577), so what is reported here is how each author reads the principles he followed, not a system he held.

Before the systems: cited for the more probable opinion
Counted among them by one of our authors	Merkelbach, Summa II, excursus on the moral systems
“This is especially true of St. Antoninus and of Ioannes Nider. - The first who seems to have expounded the principle of Probabiliorism clearly enough is Guilielmus Antisiodorensis, who flourished around the year 1230.”Prümmer: alleged by some as a favorer of probabilism, he rather favors probabiliorism	Prümmer, Manuale I, n. 345
“Ioannes Nider, O. Pr., in his excellent book, whose title is Consolatorium timoratae conscientiae (P. 3, c. 1), expressly adopts the opinion of Blessed Albert and relies on almost the same words as St. Antoninus, who certainly favors Probabiliorism”Prümmer on his Consolatorium timoratae conscientiae	Prümmer, Manuale I, n. 345

In the Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)

“John Nider”, vol. 11, by Henry Ignatius Smith. Public domain; transcription from Wikisource.

Theologian, b. 1380 in Swabia; d. 13 August, 1438, at Colmar. He entered the Order of Preachers at Colmar and after profession was sent to Vienna for his philosophical studies, which he finished at Cologne where he was ordained. He gained a wide reputation in Germany as a preacher and was active at the Council of Constance. After making a study of the convents of his order of strict observance in Italy he returned to the University of Vienna where in 1425 he began teaching as Master of Theology. Elected prior of the Dominican convent at Nuremberg in 1427, he successively served as socius to his master general and vicar of the reformed convents of the German province. In this capacity he maintained his early reputation of reformer and in 1431 he was chosen prior of the convent of strict observance at Basle. He became identified with the Council of Basle as theologian and legate, making several embassies to the Hussites at the command of Cardinal Julian. Sent as legate of the Council to the Bohemians he succeeded in pacifying them. He journeyed to Ratisbon (1434) to effect a further reconciliation with the Bohemians and then proceeded to Vienna to continue his work of reforming the convents there. During the discussion that followed the dissolution of the Couneil of Basle by Eugene IV, he joined the party in favour of continuing the Council in Germany, abandoning them, however, when the pope remained firm in his decision. He resumed his theological lectures at Vienna in 1436 and was twice elected dean of the university before his death. As reformer he was foremost in Germany and welcomed as such both by his own order and by the Fathers of the Council of Basle. As a theologian his adherence to the principles of St. Thomas and his practical methods made him distinguished among his contemporaries. The most important among his many writings is the "Formicarius" (5 vols., Douai, 1602) a treatise on the philosophical, theological, and social questions of his day. Among his theological works are the following: "Commentarius in IV libros Sententiarum" (no longer extant); "Praeceptorum divinae legis" (Douai, 1612, seventeen other editions before 1500); "Tractatus de contractibus mercatorum" (Paris, 1514, eight editions before 1500); "Consolatorium timoratae conscientiae" (Rome, 1604); "De Morali lepra" (Regia, 1830); "Manuale ad instructionem spiritualium Pastorum" (Rome, 1513); "Alphabetum Divini Amoris" (Antwerp, 1705, in works of Gerson); "De modo bene vivendi " (commonly attributed to St. Bernard), "De Reformatione Religiosorum Libri Tres" (Paris, 1512; Antwerp, 1611). Besides these there are several letters written to the Bohemians and to the Fathers of the Council of Basle, printed in "Monum. Concil. General., saec. XV, Concil. Basil. Scrip.", I (Vienna, 1857).

QUETIF-ECHARD, Scriptores 0. P., I, 792 sqq., II, 822; TOURON Histoire des Hommes illustres de l'ordre de St. Dominique, III, 218-76; SCHIELER in Kirchenlex. q. v. Nider; COLVENERIUS, J. Nider Formicarius (Douai, 1602); STEILL., Ord. Praed. Ephemerides Domincano-sacrae, II (Dilling, 1692), 230; SCHIELER, Magister Johannes Nider, aus dem Orden der Prediger-Bruder (Mainz, 1885): Annee Dominicaine, VII (1895), 731-46; HAIN, Rep. Bibl., III (1831); BRUMER, Predigerorden in Wien (1867); CHEVALIER, Repertoire des Sources historiques du Moyen Age, II, 3360.

IGNATIUS SMITH