The Scholastics. Where? Where? The universities “scholastics” – in the schools

The ScholasticsThe Scholastics


Where? Where?


Where?Where? The universities The universities

““scholastics” – in the scholastics” – in the schoolsschools


Where? Where? The universities --The universities --

Especially the Sorbonne Especially the Sorbonne (the University of Paris)(the University of Paris)


Who? Who?


Who?Who? Peter Lombard Peter Lombard (1105-1160)(1105-1160)


Who?Who? Peter Lombard (1105-Peter Lombard (1105-1160)1160)

His book: His book: The SentencesThe Sentences




Thomas Aquinas (1225-Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)1274)





His book: His book: Summa Summa TheologiaTheologia




Duns Scotus (1265-Duns Scotus (1265-1308)1308)


Sources of truth?Sources of truth?


Sources of truth?Sources of truth?•BibleBible


Sources of truth?Sources of truth?•BibleBible•Tradition (Church Tradition (Church Fathers)Fathers)


Sources of truth?Sources of truth?•BibleBible•Tradition (Church Fathers)Tradition (Church Fathers)•ARISTOTLE (384-322 BC)ARISTOTLE (384-322 BC)


Goal?Goal?


Goal?Goal?

To use Scripture and logic To use Scripture and logic to make sense of God, man, to make sense of God, man, and the world.and the world.


Method?Method?


Method?Method?

Reason and dialecticReason and dialectic


The Way of SalvationThe Way of Salvation


The Way of SalvationThe Way of Salvation““The death of Christ then The death of Christ then justifies us, when by it love justifies us, when by it love is awakened in our hearts."is awakened in our hearts." (Peter Lombard)(Peter Lombard)

The HumanistsThe Humanists

Where? Where?


Where?Where?

Royal courts.Royal courts.


Who?Who?


Who?Who?

Dante, Petrarch (early, Dante, Petrarch (early, Italian)Italian)


Who?Who?

Dante, Petrarch (early, Dante, Petrarch (early, Italian)Italian)

Erasmus, Reuchlin Erasmus, Reuchlin (late, (late, continental)continental)


Source of truth?Source of truth?



Back to the Sources!!Back to the Sources!!



Back to the Sources!!Back to the Sources!!•The BibleThe Bible



Back to the Sources!!Back to the Sources!!•The BibleThe Bible•Classical (Greek and Classical (Greek and Latin) authorsLatin) authors


Goal?Goal?


Goal?Goal?To get rid of myths, To get rid of myths, traditions, and silly traditions, and silly Scholastic arguments, and Scholastic arguments, and get back to basic get back to basic Christianity.Christianity.


Goal?Goal?To get rid of myths, traditions, To get rid of myths, traditions, and silly Scholastic and silly Scholastic arguments, and get back to arguments, and get back to basic Christianity.basic Christianity.

i.e., MORALITY & i.e., MORALITY & ETHICS.ETHICS.


Method?Method?

Language and literature Language and literature studystudy


Way of SalvationWay of Salvation

Do your best, and grace will Do your best, and grace will “kick in.”“kick in.”



Do your best, and grace will Do your best, and grace will “kick in.”“kick in.”

(But righteous pagans are (But righteous pagans are in heaven!)in heaven!)

The MysticsThe Mystics


Who?Who?


Who?Who?

Meister Eckhardt (1260-Meister Eckhardt (1260-1327)1327)


Who?Who?

Meister Eckhardt (1260-Meister Eckhardt (1260-1327)1327)

John Tauler (1300-1361) John Tauler (1300-1361)


Where?Where?


Where?Where?

Monasteries.Monasteries.


Where?Where?

Monasteries,Monasteries,

though some were though some were wandering preachers.wandering preachers.


Sources of truth?Sources of truth?•BibleBible


Sources of truth?Sources of truth?•BibleBible•TraditionTradition


Sources of truth?Sources of truth?•BibleBible•TraditionTradition•Direct illuminationDirect illumination


Goal?Goal?


Goal?Goal?

A direct, unmediated A direct, unmediated experience of God.experience of God.


Method?Method?


Method?Method?

Private prayer and Private prayer and contemplation.contemplation.





Through a mystical Through a mystical experience, the soul is experience, the soul is absorbed into the Divine.absorbed into the Divine.

The Common PeopleThe Common People

Who? Where? Who? Where?

Everybody, all over the place. Everybody, all over the place. That’s why we call them That’s why we call them common people. Why do you common people. Why do you ask such ridiculous questions? ask such ridiculous questions? Huh? Huh?


Sources of truthSources of truth


Sources of truthSources of truth•The Bible (though many The Bible (though many can’t read)can’t read)


Sources of truthSources of truth•The Bible (though many can’t The Bible (though many can’t read)read)•The ChurchThe Church

–The Sunday service (liturgy, preaching)


Sources of truthSources of truth•The Bible (though many can’t The Bible (though many can’t read)read)•The ChurchThe Church

–Traditions, holidays, legends about saints, etc.


GoalGoal

Survival.Survival.


Goal & methodGoal & method

Survival. Let the Survival. Let the professionals (priests, professionals (priests, monks, and nuns) take care monks, and nuns) take care of religion for you. Just do of religion for you. Just do what they tell you and don’t what they tell you and don’t worry about it. worry about it.



If you do your part, God If you do your part, God will do his.will do his.

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?Third, it [theology] proceeds to the Third, it [theology] proceeds to the contemplation of truth in questions of contemplation of truth in questions of Sacred Scripture; and to this purpose Sacred Scripture; and to this purpose the method should be that of the method should be that of arguments. arguments.

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?Third, it [theology] proceeds to the Third, it [theology] proceeds to the contemplation of truth in questions of contemplation of truth in questions of Sacred Scripture; and to this purpose Sacred Scripture; and to this purpose the method should be that of the method should be that of arguments. arguments.

Scholastic Scholastic (Thomas Aquinas)(Thomas Aquinas)

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?When we turn away from When we turn away from ourselves and from all created ourselves and from all created things, to that extent we are things, to that extent we are united and sanctified in the soul's united and sanctified in the soul's spark, which is untouched by spark, which is untouched by either space or time. This spark is either space or time. This spark is opposed to all creatures and opposed to all creatures and desires nothing but God.desires nothing but God.

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?When we turn away from When we turn away from ourselves and from all created ourselves and from all created things, to that extent we are things, to that extent we are united and sanctified in the soul's united and sanctified in the soul's spark, which is untouched by spark, which is untouched by either space or time. This spark is either space or time. This spark is opposed to all creatures and opposed to all creatures and desires nothing but God.desires nothing but God.

Mystic Mystic (Meister Eckhart)(Meister Eckhart)

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?I have turned my entire attention to I have turned my entire attention to Greek. The first thing I shall do, as Greek. The first thing I shall do, as soon as the money arrives, is to buy soon as the money arrives, is to buy some Greek authors; after that, I shall some Greek authors; after that, I shall buy clothes.buy clothes.

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?I have turned my entire attention to I have turned my entire attention to Greek. The first thing I shall do, as Greek. The first thing I shall do, as soon as the money arrives, is to buy soon as the money arrives, is to buy some Greek authors; after that, I shall some Greek authors; after that, I shall buy clothes.buy clothes.

Humanist Humanist (Erasmus)(Erasmus)

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?Blessedness consists primarily in Blessedness consists primarily in the fact that the soul sees God in the fact that the soul sees God in herself.herself.

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?Blessedness consists primarily in Blessedness consists primarily in the fact that the soul sees God in the fact that the soul sees God in herself.herself.

Mystic Mystic (Meister Eckhart)(Meister Eckhart)

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?It is an unscrupulous intellect that It is an unscrupulous intellect that does not pay to antiquity its due does not pay to antiquity its due reverence.reverence.

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?It is an unscrupulous intellect that It is an unscrupulous intellect that does not pay to antiquity its due does not pay to antiquity its due reverence.reverence.

HumanistHumanist (Erasmus) (Erasmus)

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?God ordained human nature to attain God ordained human nature to attain the end of eternal life not by its own the end of eternal life not by its own strength, but by the help of grace, strength, but by the help of grace, and in this way its act can be and in this way its act can be deserving of eternal life.deserving of eternal life.

Scholastic, Humanist, or Scholastic, Humanist, or Mystic?Mystic?God ordained human nature to attain God ordained human nature to attain the end of eternal life not by its own the end of eternal life not by its own strength, but by the help of grace, strength, but by the help of grace, and in this way its act can be and in this way its act can be deserving of eternal life.deserving of eternal life.

Scholastic Scholastic (Thomas Aquinas)(Thomas Aquinas)

Documents

The Scholastics. Where? Where? The universities “scholastics” – in the schools