Martin, Raymond Joseph
MARTIN, RAYMOND JOSEPH
Theologian; b. Neerpelt, Belgium, Sept. 27, 1878; d. Étiolles, France, Aug. 19, 1949. He entered the Dominican Order in 1896 and was ordained in 1902. He served as master of novices at La Sarte near Huy, Belgium, from 1906 until 1909, then as professor of theology at the Dominican theologate in Louvain until 1940. Specializing in medieval theology, he published an edition of the works of Robert of Melun, Oeuvres de Robert de Melun (3 v. Louvain 1932–41), and of Peter Comestor's work on the Sacraments, Pierre Mangeur, De sacramentis (Louvain 1937). In 1921, in collaboration with J. Lebon and J. de Ghellinck, he founded the well-known collection of patristic and theological studies, Spicilegium sacrum Lovaniense. In his work La Controverse sur le péché; originel au debut du X1Ve siècle (Louvain 1930), Martin worked out a new opinion regarding the essence of original sin according to medieval theologians. He also wrote a few articles in defense of the Thomistic doctrine of the divine influence on human acts. With Martin the historical study of theology had its first representative among the Belgian Dominicans.
Bibliography: Studia mediaevalia in honorem … R. J. Martin, O.P. (Bruges 1948), see bibliog. of Martin's works, 27–37, two bio-bibliog. notices: l. van helmond, 7–8, and g. de brie and s. brounts, 9–25.
[j. coppens]