Jacob van Hoogstraten

Jacob van Hoogstraten (c. 1460 – 24 January 1527) was a Brabantian Flemish Dominican theologian and controversialist.

Education, professor

Van Hoogstraten was born in Hoogstraten, Burgundian Netherlands (now Belgium). He studied the classics and theology with the Dominicans at Old University of Leuven. In 1485, he was among the first in the history of that institution to receive the degree of Master of Arts. While van Hoogstraten took no active part in the earlier stages of the controversy, his sympathies were with Reuchlin's opponents as evidenced by his close relationship with Pfefferkorn. Influenced no doubt, to some extent by the unfavourable attitude of the universities towards the Jewish books, van Hoogstraten on 15 September 1513, in his capacity as inquisitor, summoned Reuchlin to appear within six days before the ecclesiastical court of Mainz to answer to the charges of favouring the Jews and their anti-Christian literature. The latter appealed to Rome. Pope Leo X authorized the Bishop of Speyer to decide the matter.

On 29 March 1514, the Bishop of Speyer announced that the Augenspiegel contained nothing injurious to the Catholic Faith, pronounced judgment in favour of Reuchlin, and sentenced van Hoogstraten to pay the expenses consequent upon the process. The latter appealed to Rome, but the pope postponed the trial indefinitely.