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Abstract
This dissertation examines Roberto Bellarmino's writings that critiqued Lutheran Christology, specifically his Disputationes de Controversiis Christianae Fidei adversus hujus temporis Haereticos, his Judicium de Libro, quem Lutherani vocant Concordiae, his Brevis Apologia pro libello suo de Libro Concordiae Lutheranorum, and his Compendium de haeresi. It provides a context for this examination by tracing the developments in Lutheran Christology from Luther to the Book of Concord and by recounting Bellarmino's growing interest in the issue and his writings on the topic. The dissertation then turns to an examination of Bellarmino's critique of Martin Luther, Johannes Brenz, and Martin Chemnitz's doctrines on the hypostatic union, the communicatio idiomatum, and the omnipresence of the humanity of Christ.
The dissertation identifies the works of Lutheran, Reformed, and Catholic theologians that Bellarmino used in order to fashion his own understanding of the Lutheran positions. An assessment is provided as to how well he understood his opponents, how accurately he quoted them or to what extent he depended on others' statements, and how effectively he responded to the Lutheran theologians. Attention is given to the types of arguments he made, especially his use of scriptural, patristic, and conciliar texts.
