Cornelius Agrippa, The Humanist Theologian And His Declamations (brill's Studies In Intellectual History)

This study, based on a fresh reading of the entire correspondence, the surviving orations, declamations and other relevant treatises, contains an innovative interpretation of the philosophical and theological thought of Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim (1486-1535). The first chapters contain a close study of his controversy with the scholastic theologians, which Agrippa carried on throughout his life, particularly with the theologians of Louvain University. Detailed analyses of Agrippa's declamations are included in the second part of the book. The chapter on the humanist declamation offers a new approach to the interpretation of rhetorical texts in the heyday of learned humanism in Northern Europe; in this context, special attention is paid to Agrippa's indebtedness to Erasmus. Throughout the book, Agrippa emerges as an important intermediary between scholasticism and humanism, and a strong opponent of the professional theologians of his time. This study, based on a fresh reading of the entire correspondence, the surviving orations, declamations and other relevant treatises, contains an innovative interpretation of the philosophical and theological thought of Henry Cornelius Agrippa of Nettesheim (1486-1535). The first chapters contain a close study of his controversy with the scholastic theologians, which Agrippa carried on throughout his life, particularly with the theologians of Louvain University. Detailed analyses of Agrippa's declamations are included in the second part of the book. The chapter on the humanist declamation offers a new approach to the interpretation of rhetorical texts in the heyday of learned humanism in Northern Europe; in the context, special attention is paid to Agrippa's indebtedness to Erasmus. Throughout the book, Agrippa emerges as an important intermediary between scholasticism and humanism, and a strong opponent of the professional theologians of his time. Preface vii Abbreviations xi Introduction: Agrippa's Legacy 1 Chapter One: Biographical Sketch, with Emphasis on Agrippa's Interest in Divine studies and his Conflicts with Anti-Humanistic theologians 15 Chapter Two: Agrippa and Scholastic Theology 50 Chapter Three: Method of Reasoning and Style of Agrippa's Theological Writings 94 Chapter Four: The Battle of 'De incertitudine': Agrippa in the World of Humanism 116 Chapter Five: Agrippa's Definition of the Humanist Declamation and its Erasmian Antecedent 153 Chapter Six: 'De Nobilitate et Praecellentia Foeminei Sexus' 185 Chapter Seven: 'De Originali Peccato Disputabilis Opinionis Declamatio' 225 Chapter Eight: 'De Sacramento Matrimonii Declamatio' 246 Conclusion 263 Appendices Appendix 1: List of passages from 'De incertitudine' condemned by the Sorbonne on March 2, 1531 269 Appendix 2: A hitherto unnoticed letter from Cantiuncula to Agrippa 275 Bibliography 277