Dogmatic theologian, born at St-Laurent-des-Autels, Maine-et-Loire, 26 Aug., 1832; d. at Bellevue, near Paris, 5 Dec., 1903. He entered the Society of Jesus at Angers, 7 Dec., 1854; taught philosophy for two years and dogmatic theology for twenty-two at the seminaries of Laval ( France ), 1864-80, and St. Helier (Jersey), 1880-88, then, after being spiritual father at Laval he was appointed professor of dogmatic theology and taught three years, 1891-94, at the Catholic Institute of Paris, remaining afterwards in this city as spiritual father and writer. During his first period of teaching, he did not publish any theological work, except a treatise, "De Verbo incarnato", Jersey, 1882, for private circulation; there are also five or six other treatises in manuscript or lithographed, which form a substantial body of Positive rather than Scholastic theology , after the manner and doctrine of Cardinal Franzelin. In a quite different style is framed a neo-Thomistic monograph, published at paris in 1894: "S. Thomæ Aquinatis, O.P., doctrina sincera de unione hypostatica Verbi Dei cum humanitate amplissime declarata". At this time, Father Terrien began to apply his deep knowledge of theology to popular instruction, and published the following doctrinal treatises in French: "La Dévotion au Sacré-Coeur de Jésus, d'après les documents authentiques et la théologie", 1893; Italian translation by G.M. Rossi (Naples, 1895); "La grâce et la gloire ou la filiation adoptive des enfants de Dieu étudiée dans sa réalité, ses principes, son perfectionnement, et son couronnement final", 2 vols., 1897; new ed., 1908; "La Mère de Dieu et la Mère des hommes d'après les Péres et la théologie", 4 vols., 1900, 1902. These three works form unquestionably the most conspicuous part of Terrien's literary performance, as they are highly valuable on account of precision and richness of doctrine.

The 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.

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