Skip to main content

Andrea Spagni

Educator and author, born at Florence, 8 Aug., 1716; died at Rome, 16 Sept., 1788. He entered the Society of Jesus, 22 Oct., 1731, and was employed chiefly in teaching philosophy and theology, though for a time he professed mathematics at the Roman College, and assisted Father Asclepi in his astronomical observations. The most noted of his writings is the work "De Miraculis" (Rome, 1777), which he carefully revised in two succeeding editions (Rome, 1779 and 1785). In this work, besides giving the positive doctrine on the nature and reality of miracles, he has marshalled together with great thoroughness the objections brought forward by the rationalists of his own and preceding times against the chief miracles of the Old and the New Testament, so that the work may be considered as a compendium of the literature of the subject, up to the last quarter of the eighteenth century. His other chief works are: "De Causa efficiente" (Rome, 1764); "De Bono, Malo et Pulchro" (Rome, 1766); "De Mundo" (Rome, 1770); "De Ideis Mentis humanæ" (Rome, 1772); "De Motu" (Rome, 1774); "De Anima Brutorum" (Rome, 1775); "De Signis Idearum" (Rome, 1781).

More Catholic Encyclopedia

Search the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Browse Encyclopedia by Alphabet


Catholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive resource on Catholic teaching, history, and information ever gathered in all of human history. This easy-to-search online version was originally printed in fifteen hardcopy volumes.

Designed to present its readers with the full body of Catholic teaching, the Encyclopedia contains not only precise statements of what the Church has defined, but also an impartial record of different views of acknowledged authority on all disputed questions, national, political or factional. In the determination of the truth the most recent and acknowledged scientific methods are employed, and the results of the latest research in theology, philosophy, history, apologetics, archaeology, and other sciences are given careful consideration.

No one who is interested in human history, past and present, can ignore the Catholic Church, either as an institution which has been the central figure in the civilized world for nearly two thousand years, decisively affecting its destinies, religious, literary, scientific, social and political, or as an existing power whose influence and activity extend to every part of the globe. In the past century the Church has grown both extensively and intensively among English-speaking peoples. Their living interests demand that they should have the means of informing themselves about this vast institution, which, whether they are Catholics or not, affects their fortunes and their destiny.

Browse the Catholic Encyclopedia by Topic

Copyright © Catholic Encyclopedia. Robert Appleton Company New York, NY. Volume 1: 1907; Volume 2: 1907; Volume 3: 1908; Volume 4: 1908; Volume 5: 1909; Volume 6: 1909; Volume 7: 1910; Volume 8: 1910; Volume 9: 1910; Volume 10: 1911; Volume 11: - 1911; Volume 12: - 1911; Volume 13: - 1912; Volume 14: 1912; Volume 15: 1912

Catholic Online Catholic Encyclopedia Digital version Compiled and Copyright © Catholic Online


Newsletter Sign Up

Daily Readings

Reading 1, Acts 2:1-11
When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together, when ... Read More

Psalm, Psalms 104:1, 24, 29-30, 31, 34
Bless Yahweh, my soul, Yahweh, my God, how great you are! ... Read More

Gospel, John 20:19-23
In the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the ... Read More

Reading 2, First Corinthians 12:3-7, 12-13
Because of that, I want to make it quite clear to you that no ... Read More

Saint of the Day

May 19 Saint of the Day

St. Celestine
May 19: When the father of this Italian saint died, his good mother ... Read More




Marketplace

Click Here

Faith Basics: Discovering the
Take a walk through the Mass. To appreciate the awe of the Mass we ... Read More


Click Here

Feed On The Word Dinnerware
Feed on the Word Scripture Dinnerware comes in complete place ... Read More