Gerard of Abbeville

Gerard of Abbeville (died 1272) was a theologian at the University of Paris, from 1257. He is known as an opponent of the mendicant orders [Lesley M. Smith and Benedicta Ward (editors), "Intellectual Life in the Middle Ages: Essays Presented to Margaret Gibson" (1992), p. 208.] , taking part in a concerted attack that temporarily affected their privileges [James Henderson Burns, "The Cambridge History of Medieval Political Thought c. 350-c. 1450" (1988), p. 635.] .

His "Contra adversarium perfectionis christianae" of c. 1269, in support of William of St Amour, argued that extreme emphasis on poverty contradicted the Aristotelian doctrine of the mean [Virpi Mäkinen, "Property Rights in the Late Medieval Discussion on Franciscan Poverty" (2001),p. 41.] , and undermined the basis of pastoral work [ [http://users.bart.nl/~roestb/franciscan/GILLEEDS.html Gilleeds ] ] . It provoked replies from Thomas Aquinas and Bonaventure [David Knowles, "The Religious Orders in England" I (1979 edition), p. 221.] . From the Franciscan side, Bonaventure wrote "Apologia pauperum", and John Peckham his "Tractatus pauperis" [ [http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/fra/FRAht02.html History of the Franciscan Movement (2) ] ] . The Dominican Aquinas wrote his case on the "state of perfection" in "De Perfectione Vitae Spiritualis contra Doctrinam Retrahentium a Religione" (1270) [ [http://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/homp272.htm History of Medieval Philosophy 272 ] ] .

On trinitarian theology, however, Gerard was much closer to the emerging Franciscan view [Russell L. Friedman, "Trinitarian Texts from the Franciscan Trinitarian Tradition, ca. 1265-85", in "Cahiers de L'Institut Du Moyen-Âge Grec Et Latin", Volume 73 (2006), p. 22.] . With Aquinas, he was one of the developers of the "quodlibet" genre of open philosophical discussion, flourishing for about a century from his time [André Vauchez, Richard Barrie Dobson, Michael Lapidge, "Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages" (2001 translation), p. 1207.] . His polemics used a combination of quodlibets and sermons [Simon Tugwell, "Albert & Thomas: Selected Writings" (1988), p. 229.] .

He was a major benefactor of the Sorbonne library, leaving it around 300 books and manuscripts [Cornelius O'Boyle, "The Art of Medicine: Medical Teaching at the University of Paris, 1250-1400" (1998), p. 161.] ; his collection was based on that of Richard de Fournival, outstanding in Europe of his time [Jeremiah Hackett, "Roger Bacon and the Sciences: Commemorative Essays" (1997), p. 16.] .

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External links

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