Gerhoh of Reichersberg

Gerhoh of Reichersberg

Gerhoh of Reichersberg (b. at Polling, Bavaria 1093; d. at Reichersberg, 27 June 1169) was one of the most distinguished theologians of Germany in the twelfth century. He was provost of Reichersberg and Canon Regular.

He studied at Freising, Mosburg, and Hildesheim. In 1119, Bishop Hermann of Augsburg called him as "scholasticus" to the cathedral school of that city; shortly afterwards, though still a deacon, he made him a canon of the cathedral. Gradually Gerhoh adopted a stricter ecclesiastical attitude, and eventually withdrew (1121) from the simoniacal Bishop Hermann, and took refuge in the monastery of Raitenbuch in the Diocese of Freising. After the Concordat of Worms (1122) Bishop Hermann was reconciled with the legitimate pope, Callistus II, whereupon Gerhoh accompanied the bishop to the Lateran Council of 1123. On his return from Rome Gerhoh resigned his canonicate, and with his father and two half-brothers joined the Austin canons at Raitenbuch (1124).

Bishop Kuno of Ratisbon ordained him a priest in 1126, and gave him the parish of Cham, which he later resigned under threats from Hohenstaufen followers whom he had offended at the Synod of Würzburg in 1127. He returned to Ratisbon, and in 1132 Archbishop Conrad I of Salzburg appointed him provost of Reichersberg, to the spiritual and material advantage of that monastery. Archbishop Conrad sent him several times on special missions to Rome; in 1143 he also accompanied, together with Arnold of Brescia, Cardinal Guido of Santa Maria in Porticu on his embassy to Bohemia and Moravia.

Eugene III (1145-53) held Gerhoh in high esteem; his relations with the successors of that pope were less pleasant. On the occasion of the disputed papal election in 1159 (Alexander III and Victor IV) Gerhoh sided with Alexander III, but only after long hesitation; for this action the imperial party looked on him with hatred. For refusing to support the antipope, Archbishop Conrad was condemned to banishment in 1166, and the monastery of Reichersberg was repeatedly attacked; Gerhoh himself was forced to take refuge in flight, and died soon after his return to Reichersberg.

Gerhoh was a reformer in the spirit of the Gregorian ideas. He aimed particularly, perhaps with excessive zeal, at the reform of the clergy; it seemed to him that this object could not be attained unless the community life were generally adopted.

His brother Arno of Reichersberg also made a reputation.

Works

His reformist views, and his ecclesiastical policy are set forth in the following works:

*"De ædificio Dei seu de studio et cura disciplinæ ecclesiasticæ" ("P.L.," CXCIV, 1187-1336; Ernst Sackur, 136-202)
*"Tractatus adversus Simoniacos" ("P.L.," 1335-1372; Sackur, 239-272; see also Jaksch in "Mittheilungen des Instituts für österreichische Geschichtsforschung," VI [1885] , 254-69)
*"Liber epistolaris ad Innocentium II. Pont. Max. de eo quis distet inter clericos sæculares et regulares" ("P.L.," CXCIV, 1375-1420; Sackur, 202-239)
*"De novitatibus hujus sæculi ad Adrianum IV Papam" (selections in Grisar and in Sackur, 288-304).

Furthermore,

*the important work written in 1162, "De investigatione Anti-Christi libri III" [selections in "P.L.," CXCIV, 1443-1480; see also Stülz in "Archiv für österreichische Geschichte," XXII (1858), 127-188; selections in Scheibelberger, see below; book I complete in Sackur, 304-395]
*"De schismate ad cardinales" [Mühlbacher in "Archiv für österreichische Geschichte," XLVII (1871), 355-382; Sackur, 399-411]
*his last work is the "De quarta vigilia noctis" ["Oesterreichische Vierteljahresschrift für kath. Theologie" X (1871), 565-606; Sackur, 503-525] .

His principal work he left unfinished, "Commentarius in Psalmos" ("P.L.," CXCIII, 619-1814; CXCIV, 1-1066); it offers much interesting material for contemporaneous history. This is particularly true of his commentary on Ps. lxiv, that appeared separately as "Liber de corrupto Ecclesiæ statu ad Eugenium III Papam" ("P.L.," CXCIV, 9-120); Sackur, 439-92).

There are also a number of polemical works and letters against the Christological errors of Abelard, Gilbert de la Porrée, and Bishop Eberhard of Bamberg; others deal with the errors of Folmar, Provost of Triefenstein, on the subject of the Holy Eucharist.

The genuineness of the "Vitæ beatorum abbatum Formbacensium Berengeri et Wirntonis, O.S.B.," generally ascribed to Gerhoh, is denied by Wattenbach. The Migne edition of Gerhoh's works is faulty and incomplete. Those of his writings which are of importance for the study of the history of that period were edited by Sackur in the "Monumenta Germaniæ Historica: Libelli de lite imperatorum et pontificum," III (Hanover, 1897), 131-525; also by Scheibelberger, "Gerhohi Opera adhuc inedita" (Linz, 1875).

References

*CathEncy|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06472a.htm|title=Gerhoh of Reichersberg
*D. Van den Eynde, O. Van den Eynde, A. Rijmersdael, P. Classen, "Opera inedita by Gerhoh of Reichersberg"
*Damien Van den Eynde, "L'Oeuvre litteraire de Geroch de Reichersberg"
*Peter Classen, "Gerhoch von Reichersberg"
*Catholic


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Gerhoh of Reichersberg — • Provost of that place and Austin canon, one of the most distinguished theologians of Germany in the twelfth century, b. at Polling, Bavaria, 1093; d. at Reichersberg, 27 June, 1169 Catholic Encyclopedia. Kevin Knight. 2006. Gerhoh of… …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Gerhoh von Reichersberg — Gerhoh von Reichersberg,   Gerhoch von Reichersberg, Theologe und Kirchenschriftsteller, * Polling (Oberbayern) 1093, ✝ Reichersberg (Oberösterreich) 27. 6. 1169; im …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Gerhoh von Reichersberg — Gerhoh von Reichersberg, polemischer Schriftsteller des Mittelalters, geb. 1093 zu Polling in Oberbayern, gest. 27. Juni 1169, war Lehrer an der Domschule und 1119 Domherr zu Augsburg, zeitweise im Kloster Raitenbuch, wurde 1132 Propst des… …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Gerhoch von Reichersberg — (* 1092/1093 in Polling; † 27. Juni 1169 in Reichersberg) war ein bayerisch österreichischer Kirchenreformer, Theologe und Regularkanoniker. Leben Der Stand von Gerhochs Familie ist unklar, doch erhielten er und fünf namentlich bekannte Brüder… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • ГЕРХОХ РАЙХЕРСБЕРГСКИЙ — [лат. Gerhohus Reichersbergensis, Reicherspergensis; нем. Gerho(c)h von Reichersberg] (1092/93, Поллинг, В. Бавария 27.06.1169, Райхерсберг, близ Пассау, В. Австрия), богослов, деятель григорианской реформы, настоятель мон ря регулярных каноников …   Православная энциклопедия

  • Conflict of Investitures —     Conflict of Investitures     † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Conflict of Investitures     (Ger. Investiturstreit.)     The terminus technicus for the great struggle between the popes and the German kings Henry IV and Henry V, during the period 1075 …   Catholic encyclopedia

  • Arnold von Brescia — Arnold von Brescia, Büste von G. Marini (1871) Arnold von Brescia (* um 1090 in Brescia; † 1155) war ein italienischer Regularkanoniker und Prediger. Im Hinblick auf eine Kirchenreform vertrat er die Auffassung, auch der Säkularklerus …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Easter Drama — An Easter Drama is a liturgical drama or religious theatrical performance in the Roman Catholic tradition, largely limited to the Middle Ages. These performances evolved from celebrations of the liturgy to incorporate later dramatic and secular… …   Wikipedia

  • Engelbert Mühlbacher — (4 October 1843 – 17 July 1903) was an Austrian historian. Born in Gresten, he received his classical education in Linz, Upper Austria being his family s home region. In 1862 he became a novice among the Austin Canons in Sankt Florian. After… …   Wikipedia

  • Frühscholastik — Scholastik, abgeleitet vom lateinischen Adjektiv scholasticus („schulisch“, „zum Studium gehörig“), ist die wissenschaftliche Denkweise und Methode der Beweisführung, die in der lateinischsprachigen Gelehrtenwelt des Mittelalters entwickelt wurde …   Deutsch Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”