Molanus

Who was Molanus?

Jan Vermeulen or Jan van der Meulen, also known as Molanus was an influential Counter Reformation Flemish Catholic theologian of Louvain University, where he was Professor of Theology, and Rector from 1578. From 1561 to 1563 he was headmaster at the Latin School in Duisburg, today's Landfermann-Gymnasium. Born at Lille, he was a priest and canon of St. Peter's church in Louvain, where he died.

Among many other subjects he wrote on the proper content of religious images, taking a very severe line in his De Picturis et Imaginibus Sacris, pro vero earum usu contra abusus of 1570. Five further, enlarged, editions of this appeared between 1570 and 1771, and a modern French translation has been published, most recently in 1996. He was lead editor of an edition of the works of Saint Augustine, and wrote a history of Louvain.

He is not to be confused with Gerhard Wolter Molanus, 1633–1722, an influential German Lutheran theologian.