Conrad Vogler and His Abridged Version of “Summa de religio” of Francisco Suarez: Evolution of the Meaning of the Term “Religion”

Abstract

The article discusses the evolution of the concept of religion from Cicero, who first defined this term, to the era of modern times. The concept of religion by Clement of Alexandria, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas and Francisco Suarez is analyzed. The Greek term “θρησκεία” found in the New Testament and the validity of its translation by the Latin word “religio” (in Jerome’s Vulgate) are discussed. The history of the gradual rooting of the term “religion” in the Russian language is also touched upon (it is shown that the word “religion” begins to be actively used in Russia only from the era of Peter the Great). The appendix contains a translation from Latin of the first two books of the work of the Austrian Jesuit Conrad Vogler (1665–1742) “A Brief Exposition of the Summa on the Religion of Francisco Suarez”, in connection with which a shift towards a legalistic understanding of religion in the theology of the Jesuits is revealed.