The Faculty of Theology of the
Catholic University of Mechlin then called
Catholic University of Leuven received primarily those students having already completed two years of philosophy and four years of theology as a part of their priestly education. A number of introductory courses were taught in the years 1853–1877. These courses were reorganized in 1898 as a
Schola Minor in association with the American College in Leuven. From the very beginning Canon Law was taught by the Theological Faculty until both programs separated in accordance with the Apostolic Constitution
Deus scientiarum Dominus in 1929. The Faculty included among its first generation of professors prominent figures such as Jan Theodoor Beelen (Holy Scripture Chair) and
Jean-Baptiste Malou (Dogmatic Theology Chair). There was a revived preference for a positive and historically oriented theology in the form of historical-critical research at the end of the nineteenth century. In 1890 the rector
Jean Baptiste Abbeloos appointed the German
Bernard Jungmann to the newly organized ''Cours pratique d'histoire ecclésiastique
. Rapid progress was made in Biblical studies through a theological faculty, uniquely situated as embedded within a "complete university," that played a role that should not be underestimated—particularly in the exchange of ideas, the application of the historical method, and specialization in the study of ancient Eastern languages. Students followed lectures in Christian Archeology taught by Edmond Reusens and a new course: Histoire critique de l'Ancien Testament
, taught by Albin van Hoonacker in 1889. Six years later Alfred Cauchie, who founded the Revue d'histoire ecclésiastique'', also became a professor in the theological faculty. Along with the two previously mentioned professors, Professor
Paulin Ladeuze joined the faculty as a specialist in the critical study of the New Testament. In addition, the faculty participated in the resurgence of
Thomism, which was propagated in Leuven by
Désiré-Joseph Mercier at the
Institut Supérieur de Philosophie, with the formation of a Chair of Philosophy of St.
Thomas Aquinas in 1882. All of this enabled the Leuven Faculty of Theology to enter the twentieth century as a center of study built around the historical-critical approach to theology. During the
Modernist Crisis, Leuven theologians were spared from further censures thanks to the protection of Cardinal
Désiré-Joseph Mercier. The direction of critical research set by the faculty continued under a generation of professors who expanded the faculty's international reputation, specifically through contributions to the Second Vatican Council. Among the theologians laboring during the council's time were renowned exegetes such as Lucien Cerfaux, Joseph Coppens, and Albert Descamps, dogmatic theologians such as
Charles Moeller and Gerard Philips and Gustave Thils; patristic theologians such as
Joseph Lebon and René Draguet; church historians like Roger Aubert; and moral theologians such as Louis Janssens They all contributed to the renewing of theology in the twentieth century, including those that formed themselves in various movements (
ecumenical movement,
liturgical movement, renewal of Bible studies, and patristics). However, this had consequences for theologians like René Draguet, who agreed with the
Nouvelle Théologie and, as a result, were condemned in 1942, along with theologians like
Marie-Dominique Chenu. In the same year the Hoger Instituut voor Godsdienstwetenschappen (
Higher Institute for Religious Studies) was established, where a theologian such as
Edward Schillebeeckx briefly taught dogmatics. This institute was established with the goal of providing university level theological education to the laity. In 1958 the program developed into a complete four-year curriculum. Leuven theologians also worked closely together with the Belgian episcopate, led by Cardinal
Leo Joseph Suenens, in Rome during the preparations for and the actual sessions of the
Second Vatican Council (1962–1965). Many of these theologians exerted a decisive influence upon a number of council documents (including
Sacrosanctum Concilium,
Gaudium et spes,
Dei verbum,
Nostra aetate, and particularly
Lumen gentium, among others). This was made possible through their expertise, their willingness to collaborate with others (e.g. theologians such as
Yves Congar were offered lodging at the
Pontifical Belgian College in Rome) and by holding several key positions (e.g. Msgr. Gerard Philips' role as adjunct-secretary of the Doctrinal Commission made him into the key architect of
Vatican II's Dogmatic Constitution on the Church). A painful period for the theological faculty, as it was for the entire university, was the end of the 1960s. Discord flared up among professors and students regarding the question of which language should be used for educating students. This came to expression, among other ways, in the so-called Leuven Flemish-movement, and the linguistic conflict led to the splitting of the University into a Dutch-language and a French-language part in 1969; As a result, the Theological Faculty was also split in two: the Dutch-language faculty remained in the Flemish town of Leuven and the French-language group went to be a part of the newly established
Université Catholique de Louvain in
Louvain-la-Neuve. ==The faculty in Leuven (1970–2022)==