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Introduction to Religion
An Introduction to Medieval Theology
Medieval theology, in all its diversity, was radically theo-centric, Trinitarian, Scriptural and sacramental. It also operated with a profound view of human understanding (in terms of intellectus rather than mere ratio). In a post-modern climate, in which the modern views on 'autonomous reason' are increasingly being questioned, it may prove fruitful to re-engage with pre-modern thinkers who, obviously, did not share our modern and post-modern presuppositions. Their different perspective does not antiquate their thought, as some of the 'cultured despisers' of medieval thought might imagine. On the contrary, rather than rendering their views obsolete it makes them profoundly challenging and enriching for theology today. This book is more than a survey of key medieval thinkers (from Augustine to the late-medieval period); it is an invitation to think along with major theologians and explore how their thought can deeply challenge some of today's modern and post-modern key assumptions.
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First published March 22, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 5, 2024
A wonderful introduction! I really enjoyed the chapter on St. Thomas Aquinas because it put my previous notions of him (as a rationalist philosopher) to bed. There's a reason the Catholic Church recognizes him as a *saint*. He's a deeply theological and biblical thinker.
The rest of the book was just as fantastic. I liked the categories (Trinity, Philosophy and Theology, etc.) that the author used to highlight similarities and differences between the theologians and their importance on later thinkers (including ourselves!).
It was heavily based on the thinkers' own writings, which was perfect. For that reason, however, it's definitely a book that should be read slowly and not as a beach read (which I admittedly did).
Loved it!
The rest of the book was just as fantastic. I liked the categories (Trinity, Philosophy and Theology, etc.) that the author used to highlight similarities and differences between the theologians and their importance on later thinkers (including ourselves!).
It was heavily based on the thinkers' own writings, which was perfect. For that reason, however, it's definitely a book that should be read slowly and not as a beach read (which I admittedly did).
Loved it!
July 23, 2023
This represents a book full of new information as I have never read this subject before, especially in such deep analysis. Theology denotes the Middle Ages and trying to understand a history of the period without reading about the theology leaves readers empty. This book is worth a second reading next year. It is well written and the scope of thinkers in it is remarkable. So too is how Rik moves chronologically while summarizing each theologian's contribution.
These Concepts I heard about but never formally encountered:
Trinitarianism
The Simplicity of (God)
Sacramental
Theocentric
The Love of God
The nature of the Trinity - how the 3 Person related to each other yet are inseperable. So the Conept of the Procession of the Son and then the Holy Spirit.
St Augustine as regarded the the Chruch Father influencing more than others.
The rise of Nationhood and the Avignon Popes.
Development of Monks & Orders.
Role of Bishops & rise of monestaries.
Ruler supported/funded monestaries.
Cluny.
Hildegarde (I purchased a magnificent book on her illustrated visons that I will read in December. Fitting to read a book with religious or mystical theme during Lent & Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas.)
These Concepts I heard about but never formally encountered:
Trinitarianism
The Simplicity of (God)
Sacramental
Theocentric
The Love of God
The nature of the Trinity - how the 3 Person related to each other yet are inseperable. So the Conept of the Procession of the Son and then the Holy Spirit.
St Augustine as regarded the the Chruch Father influencing more than others.
The rise of Nationhood and the Avignon Popes.
Development of Monks & Orders.
Role of Bishops & rise of monestaries.
Ruler supported/funded monestaries.
Cluny.
Hildegarde (I purchased a magnificent book on her illustrated visons that I will read in December. Fitting to read a book with religious or mystical theme during Lent & Celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas.)
April 13, 2016
Easily recommendable introductory survey to the major Medieval thinkers. Van Nieuwenhove strives for charity in all his interpretation and presentation from St Thomas to Meister Eckhart, and provides ample scholarly and bibliographic information for further study.
March 5, 2017
Very good introduction to the main theologians between Augustine and William of Ockham. I read this after reading Timothy George's survey of the Reformation thinkers (as part of my general survey on the history of Christian thought). Just as in my readings on the Reformation (and of the Early Church Fathers), I was surprised at how non-uniform the period was in regard to a number of issues. Just as Luther and Zwingli suffered vicious disagreement over the Real Presence of Christ in the Lord's Supper, the Medieval thinkers diverged on a number of theological issues: the Trinity, the age-old philosophical division between realism and nominalism with regard to universals, and most damningly of all, the relationship between faith and reason (Christendom still suffers from the divide between Augustine and Aquinas' view on that subject in my opinion).
However, despite the distinctions and nuances of the period, one thing that shined through was just how much the Medieval thinkers shared in a common quest: a thirst for God. All of them put massive amounts of thought and energy into deciphering some of Christendom's biggest issues, all with the intention of finding God as a result of their rigorous intellectual inquiries.
Just as I concluded that there was a lot that Christians could learn from studying the great progenitors of the Reformation, I think the same of the Medieval period. For one, the Medieval Christian thinkers were men of intellectual rigor. In an age where Christianity has often been reduced to ditsy emotional music and religious feeling that quite often turns into fideism, the Medieval thinkers teach us that Christianity is a thinking faith, one that requires doctrinal discipline as well as passionate witness. Secondly, the Medievals had a grasp of what I call "the sacramental worldview", something that I think Protestant Christianity has almost completely abandoned. The sacramental worldview embraces the reality that the world was indeed created by God and indeed is inimical of creation and magical in a truly divine sense. For Medieval thinkers like St. Bonaventure, this manifests itself in the Trinity being just under the surface of even the most mundane realities. Thirdly, the Medievals sought a harmonic theology of God and the world, one in which faith and reason, nature and grace, the inquiries of the mind, etc. would bind together perfectly into a symphonic orchestra of beauty, love, and truth.
Finally, it was interesting to see how Medieval Christendom evolved. It is undeniable that the Medieval project began to come apart slowly, clearing the path for modernity. Scotus's doctrine of the univocity of being and Ockham's radical voluntarism each cleared paths for secularization in their own ways. If God and humans share the same form of being, then being seems to be a higher standard than God. If God's willing is completely arbitrary to any standard of goodness, then God's will eventually becomes more and more arbitrary with regard to a whole new set of questions, leading to the separation of God from truly public reason. However, even with Scotus and Ockham, there is much to be learned and much to be gained from studying the way the Medievals study the universe and our place in it.
However, despite the distinctions and nuances of the period, one thing that shined through was just how much the Medieval thinkers shared in a common quest: a thirst for God. All of them put massive amounts of thought and energy into deciphering some of Christendom's biggest issues, all with the intention of finding God as a result of their rigorous intellectual inquiries.
Just as I concluded that there was a lot that Christians could learn from studying the great progenitors of the Reformation, I think the same of the Medieval period. For one, the Medieval Christian thinkers were men of intellectual rigor. In an age where Christianity has often been reduced to ditsy emotional music and religious feeling that quite often turns into fideism, the Medieval thinkers teach us that Christianity is a thinking faith, one that requires doctrinal discipline as well as passionate witness. Secondly, the Medievals had a grasp of what I call "the sacramental worldview", something that I think Protestant Christianity has almost completely abandoned. The sacramental worldview embraces the reality that the world was indeed created by God and indeed is inimical of creation and magical in a truly divine sense. For Medieval thinkers like St. Bonaventure, this manifests itself in the Trinity being just under the surface of even the most mundane realities. Thirdly, the Medievals sought a harmonic theology of God and the world, one in which faith and reason, nature and grace, the inquiries of the mind, etc. would bind together perfectly into a symphonic orchestra of beauty, love, and truth.
Finally, it was interesting to see how Medieval Christendom evolved. It is undeniable that the Medieval project began to come apart slowly, clearing the path for modernity. Scotus's doctrine of the univocity of being and Ockham's radical voluntarism each cleared paths for secularization in their own ways. If God and humans share the same form of being, then being seems to be a higher standard than God. If God's willing is completely arbitrary to any standard of goodness, then God's will eventually becomes more and more arbitrary with regard to a whole new set of questions, leading to the separation of God from truly public reason. However, even with Scotus and Ockham, there is much to be learned and much to be gained from studying the way the Medievals study the universe and our place in it.
July 4, 2017
Rik Van Nieuwenhove provides a very good introduction to medieval theology in the western church. We cannot understand developments in the 1500s and beyond without a better understanding of church tradition in the prior centuries.
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May 16, 2025Was recommended this book as a decent introduction and survey of medieval theology. Glad I read it. Seemed to give a quality high level overview of particular large figures, their context, thought, and influence with plenty of recommended resources to look further into.
July 12, 2018
Thourogh, informative, and dry. Pretty much what you would expect.
May 24, 2022
Excellent but quite challenging for an introduction.
April 3, 2024
[Part 1 and a few subsequent chapters]
September 28, 2016
A scholarly book on medieval theology which is beyond this reader's current stage of understanding. Here only noted the major persons and works listed for future re-read.
Key notes:
1. Augustine of Hippo: distinction of ultimate concern (God, to be “enjoyed”, frui), and created things (only for use, not for enjoyment, uti). Hence having God as the ultimate reference of human activities and experiences.
2. Fifth and Sixth centuries:
(a) John Cassian: more emphatic than Augustine on the cooperation of human will and divine grace, the synegeia, hence the monk order of ‘labor of obedience’.
(b) Boethius: authored “the consolation of philosophy”
(c) Pseudo-Dionysis. obscure but influential on scholastic theologians and mystics (Meister Eckhart), John the Cross etc.
3. Early Medieval theologians:
(1) Gregory the Great: commentary on Book of Job, linking with Christ and Church.
(2) John Scottus Eriugena: human faith and reason
4. The eleventh and twelfth century:
(a) Anselm of Canterbury:
(b) Abelard, William of St. Thierry, Bernard of Clairvaux, Hugh of St. Victor, Richard of St. Victor, Peter Lombard and systematization of theology with “The sentences” which synthesized into a classic handbook on theology.
5. The 13th Century
(a) Thomas Aquinas
(b) Bonaventure
(c) John Duns Scotus
6. 14th and beyond
(1) William of Ockham
(2) Meister Eckhart
Key notes:
1. Augustine of Hippo: distinction of ultimate concern (God, to be “enjoyed”, frui), and created things (only for use, not for enjoyment, uti). Hence having God as the ultimate reference of human activities and experiences.
2. Fifth and Sixth centuries:
(a) John Cassian: more emphatic than Augustine on the cooperation of human will and divine grace, the synegeia, hence the monk order of ‘labor of obedience’.
(b) Boethius: authored “the consolation of philosophy”
(c) Pseudo-Dionysis. obscure but influential on scholastic theologians and mystics (Meister Eckhart), John the Cross etc.
3. Early Medieval theologians:
(1) Gregory the Great: commentary on Book of Job, linking with Christ and Church.
(2) John Scottus Eriugena: human faith and reason
4. The eleventh and twelfth century:
(a) Anselm of Canterbury:
(b) Abelard, William of St. Thierry, Bernard of Clairvaux, Hugh of St. Victor, Richard of St. Victor, Peter Lombard and systematization of theology with “The sentences” which synthesized into a classic handbook on theology.
5. The 13th Century
(a) Thomas Aquinas
(b) Bonaventure
(c) John Duns Scotus
6. 14th and beyond
(1) William of Ockham
(2) Meister Eckhart
July 6, 2016
An Introduction to Medieval Theology is a an excellent introduction, very readable!
The theology and thought of many influential theologians is included. The work engages them in roughly chronological order (some theologians overlap in history). The development of thought in this period often repeats and builds on those who went before, but Rik Van Nieuwenhove manages not to be repetitive.
The first theologian presented is Augstine of Hippo. The author examines theological development in both the East and West, though more attention is paid to the West. There is also a fair amount of attention paid to mysticism and mystical theology. It is a good introduciton which tries to maintain a representative balance of theologians throughout the Medieval period.
The book is insightful and well presented.
The theology and thought of many influential theologians is included. The work engages them in roughly chronological order (some theologians overlap in history). The development of thought in this period often repeats and builds on those who went before, but Rik Van Nieuwenhove manages not to be repetitive.
The first theologian presented is Augstine of Hippo. The author examines theological development in both the East and West, though more attention is paid to the West. There is also a fair amount of attention paid to mysticism and mystical theology. It is a good introduciton which tries to maintain a representative balance of theologians throughout the Medieval period.
The book is insightful and well presented.
June 29, 2022
An incredible overview of the Medieval understanding of the unity of all of life. In our overly cynical and post-everything world, hearing from these voices of the past and their belief in the inter-connectedness of all things is truly refreshing.
October 4, 2016
Spectacular. Essential reading for Protestant and evangelical seminary students for them to see their catholic heritage.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews