His
Profession was in
Cologne on 18 October 1777. He was ordained in 1780 at
Mainz. During his studies of Philosophy and Theology at
Würzburg and
Heidelberg, where he graduated, he acquired such renown that contrary to the custom of his religious order he was allowed to accept a professorship in
hermeneutics and
semitic languages, first at his own
alma mater, then at the
Academy (University from 1786) of Bonn (1783–1791). In 1791 he was sent to
Strasbourg where he was a professor of Exegetical Theology and also filled the posts of preacher and of
rector at the episcopal
seminary. This embroiled him with the ongoing
French Revolution. Dereser refused the
Constitutional oath, making the clergy subordinate to the French civil authorities - an act which marked him out as a counter-revolutionary priest. During the
Reign of Terror he was imprisoned and sentenced to death, but the capital punishment was commuted into one of
deportation. It is not quite clear whether this was put into execution; but it is certain that with the fall of
Robespierre he regained his liberty and returned with shattered health to the convent in
Heidelberg (1796). In 1799 he became professor of Semitic languages, exegesis and pastoral theology in Heidelberg. The
Margrave of Baden withholding his consent to Dereser's acceptance of the office of
coadjutor to the
Bishop of Strasbourg, Dereser was transferred with the whole university to
Freiburg (1807), but having given offence by a funeral sermon (1810) had to leave suddenly to
Karlsruhe where he was a pastor, and then to
Constance. Thence he went to
Lucerne where from 1811 to 1814 he was Rector of the Episcopal Seminary, but was expelled on account of his
rationalistic teaching, which involved explaining away everything supernatural in Scripture and religion. He turned, on invitation, to Breslau as
canon and professor of Dogmatic Theology (1815). There he spent the rest of his life. ==Works==