HERMES, GEORG 7 7 5-1831), German Roman Catholic theologian, was born on April 22, 1775, at Dreyerwalde, in West phalia, and was educated at the gymnasium and university of Munster. He was ordained in 1799 and two years after the pub lication of his L ntersuchungen fiber die innere Wahrheit des Cliristenthums (Munster, I8o5), became professor of theology at Munster. There his rationalistic mode of teaching and his dis agreements with the Vicar-General von Droste-Vischering did little to smooth the way for his Einleitung in die christkatholische Theologie (1819-29), a work which shows the influence of Kant and Fichte, though in the first part the author severely criticizes these thinkers, especially for their views on the existence of God and on revelation. In 182o Hermes was appointed professor of theology at Bonn where he died on May 26, 1831. His Christ katholische Dogmatik was published posthumously (3 vols., 1831 34) . After his death, the contests between his followers and their opponents grew so bitter that the dispute was referred to Rome. The judgment was adverse, and in 1835 a papal bull condemned the Einleitung and the Dogmatik. In 1847 the condemnation of 1835 was confirmed by Pius IX.
See K. Werner, Geschichte der katholischen Theologie (1866), and Dict. de Theol. catholique.