Castellios Dialogi sacri

Ein 250 Jahre lang weitherum benutztes europäisches Lateinlehrbuch eines höchst umstrittenen Autors

Abstract

This essay deals with the Dialogi sacri by Sebastian Castellio. They comprise 137 dialogues on stories from the Old and New Testaments, which served as textbooks in Latin schools for 250 years. The selection of material has never been analyzed before, although it is very idiosyncratic. Most of the important stories are missing, such as the dialogues on the Exodus, the Sinai tradition, the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. They only appear indirectly as announcements or rather promises from God. With sideway glances at Castellio’s entire theological work, the author is able to shed new light on his doctrine of God and his image of man and demonstrates the reason for the gaps in Castellio’s dialogues, which hint to his theology oriented towards the promissio Dei.