ABSTRACT

This chapter argues that, in so doing, Calixtus demonstrated his engagement with the broader intellectual environment of early modern Europe, and his ability to synthesise and present information from a diverse array of sources. It begins with a reading of De studio historiarum oratio', considering its contents in light of contemporary intellectual debates and in relation to the work of two better-known contributors to the subject of the study of history': Jean Bodin and Gerard Vossius. Calixtus's De studio historiarum oratio' also provides some evidence for his use of criticism in interpreting historical sources. The subject of history was an important one for his theology, but he also recognised its practical application in other matters, including politics, military affairs and personal relationships. Repositioning their work in the contexts of late Renaissance humanist praxis and early modern interdisciplinarity allows us to more fully understand their engagement with, and contributions to, the early modern intellectual world.