Jansen, Cornelius (1585-1638), was a Roman Catholic bishop best known for his book Augustinus, published in 1640, after his death. The book formed the basis of a religious movement called Jansenism. The church condemned as heresies Jansenism’s views on grace, free will, and predestination. The movement created controversy among Catholics in France and the Netherlands.
Jansen based Augustinus on his study of the writings of Saint Augustine, a leading early Christian theologian. In Augustinus, Jansen wrote that human nature is totally corrupt and that people need God’s grace to act according to His will. Jansen also taught that God gives grace only to those he has predestined (chosen beforehand) for salvation and that Jesus Christ died only for the people predestined for heaven. Jansenism began to lose its influence in the 1730’s.
Cornelius Otto Jansen was born in Acquoy, near Gorinchem, the Netherlands. He became bishop of Ypres, Belgium, in 1636.
