Lombard: Exploring an Uncharted Scholastic Philosophical Genre Across Europe

Written Principia on the Sentences of Peter Lombard constitute a largely unexplored but exciting genre that corresponds to a complex exercise imposed by the statutes of medieval universities throughout Europe during the 14th and 15th centuries. Although almost completely neglected by modern scholarship, the academic practice of Principia was successful, long-lived, and widespread in the late Middle Ages. It required candidates for the title of doctor to begin their defense with a public debate in which they had to reveal their scientific interests, display their erudition, and demonstrate their intellectual prowess in the presence of a large audience. Before and during their Principia lectures, each candidate for the doctoral degree chose a topic that would exhibit his knowledge and innovation. Through debate with his colleagues in front of the staff and students of the faculty of theology and other members of the university or reputable persons (in Vienna the chancellor and the duke could participate in the debate and in Heidelberg the stuff of all the faculties from the body of the university), the candidate was expected to employ new methods and explore new paths. In most cases the discussion exceeded the confines of theology strictly speaking and allowed the candidates to indulge their interdisciplinary interests, since the debaters (the authors) combined science, mathematics, ethics, politics, astrology, literature, and so on in their polemics. Thus Principia or principial debates represent the cutting edge method to promote research in late-medieval universities. This volume aims to open a vast and advanced area of investigation by focusing on the principia practice that linked together medieval universities from different geographical and cultural contexts: Bologna, Cracow, Florence, Heidelberg, Oxford, Paris, Prague, Vienna. Volume 1. Front Matter Introduction Monica Brînzei. A Guide for Understanding Principia on the Sentences of Peter Lombard William J. Courtenay. The Transformation of Sentential Principia in the Early Fourteenth Century Florian Wöller. Inaugural Speechesby Bachelors of Theology: Principial Collationesand their Transmission (1317–1319) Chris Schabel. Francis of Marchia on Instrumental Causality: The Conclusion to Principiumin IV in Question 2 on IV Sentences Chris Schabel. The Genre Matures. Parisian Principia in the 1340s, from Gregory of Rimini to Pierre Ceffons Chris Schabel. The Forgotten Principia of a Forgotten Theologian: Jean de Moyenneville,1356–1357, and Parisian Theology in the Late 1350s Alexandra Anisie. Verbum Domini super Iohannem: John Brammart on the Word of God in the Beatific Vision William J. Courtenay. Principial Cohorts at Paris in the Fourteenth Century Siegfried Wenzel. Introductory Speeches on the Sentences by “Frisby” Michael W. Dunne. Between Old and New at Oxford: The Introitus Sententiarum of Richard FitzRalph and the First Collatio of Adam Wodeham Pascale Bermon. À la recherche des Principia aux Questions sur les Sentences de Robert Holcot O.P. († 1349) : les Sex articuli et le De obiecto actus credendi Chris Schabel. The Oxford Franciscan Robert Halifax’s Principial Debate over Grace and Merit with His Pelagian Socius and Other Colleagues in 1332–1333 Volume 1. Back Matter Volume 2. Front Matter Chris Schabel. The Franciscan Guglielmo Centueri of Cremona’s Bologna Principium of 1368, with an Appendix on Whether God Can Make the Past Not to Have Been Wojciech Baran. Survey on Principia on Peter Lombard’s Sentences at the University of Cracow William O. Duba and Russell L. Friedman. A(nother) Florentine Principium on the Sentences.The Mystery of the Two “Prologues” in Peter of Trabibus’ I Sentences Andrea Fiamma. John Wenck’s Principia on the Sentences (1431) at the University of Heidelberg Monica Brînzei. The Cistercian Matthew of Zbraslav, socius of a Pre-Radical Jan Hus, and Their Prague Principial Debate Edit Anna Lukács. Prêcher sur les Sentences : sermons sur l’oeuvre du Lombard à la bibliothèque des Dominicains de Vienne Ueli Zahnd. Disputing without socii: The Principium on Book IV of Conrad of Rothenburg, Vienna 1408/09 Matteo Esu. Peter of Pirchenwart’s Textual Workshop from his Principium IV (1417) Matteo Esu and Ueli Zahnd. A Joint Edition of Conrad of Rothenburg’s and Peter of Pirchenwart’s Principia on Book IV of the Sentences Volume 2. Back Matter