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Nature, Man, and Society in the Twelfth Century: Essays on New Theological Perspectives in the Latin West
The nine essays in this collection, selected from La théologie au douzième siècle , inquire into the historical context and origins of medieval scholasticism. They are representative of Chenu's finest work. 'If Père Chenu considers "history of theology" to be the central concern of this collection, it is because he conceives of theology as an all-encompassing science, one which reflects the comprehensive unity of intellectual life as that develops within a culture. Literary history and criticism, cultural history, philosophy, biblical exegesis, historiography, ecclesiastical and social history, the history of education-all these and more are here involved, in their interdependence.' -- From the Translators' Note First published as La théologie au douzième siècle by J. Vinn, 1957. English translation published by University of Chicago Press, 1968
384 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 1968
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 15, 2017
A tome of wisdom
The book is a selection of nine essays from Père Chenu's La théologie au douzième siècle. Chenu was a leading intellectual figure in French Catholicism in the 20th century and rightfully belongs with other such great scholars as Henri de Lubac and Yves Congar. Etienne Gilson, of the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, provides the preface and it was this that initially attracted me to the book.
Père Chenu then provides his own introduction where he expresses his overarching theme in the book:
"I have deliberately attempted an interpretation of events and of texts, not, to be sure, by making some ideological imposition upon them in subserviance to some thesis or system, but by making an impassioned search for internal points of contact...
One always runs the risk of a subjective interpretation which imputes unverifiable and possibly imaginary relationships to the reality being described. But this risk is worth runningif it is true that the task of the historian is to construct and not simply to recover...Our understanding of the twelfth century has been distorted by the rationalist prejudices of the Enlightenment philosophy." (p. xix)
The ten chapters/essays are:
1) Nature and Man- The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century
2) The Platonisms of the Twelfth Century
3) The Symbolist Mentality
4) The Old Testament in Twelfth Century Theology
5) Theology and the New Awareness of History
6) Monks, Canons, and Laymen in Search of the Apostolic Life
7) The Evangelical Awakening
8) Masters of the Theological 'Science'
9) Tradition and Progress
Now each of these chapters will be of varying interest to the reader because the subjects are so diverse, ranging from Medieval philosophy to theology to exegesis to... But the underlying theme is that the 12th Century constituted a veritable renaissance in the true sense and that the 12th century was a dynamic time of great social and intellectual change. Chenu presents the Medieval mind as one that was struggling to adapt to the new situation as society emerged from a period of isolation. The Medieval mind, at its height, was cognizant of its place in history, as inheritor or a great body of knowledge, from the Greeks, the Jews and the Church Fathers. As they struggled to integrate these ideas into a coherent whole, they were conscious of their place in history, and Chenu would add that the 12th century invented the concept of history in the Church. "Thus Christendom became aware of its historical evolution in the twelfth century." (p. 201)
This book is not for novices in the field. The numerous references to obscure figures is deliberate as Chenu looks beyond the official ecclesial history to get a sense of the atmosphere of the era. If John of Salisbury and Richard of St Victor are unfamiliar faces, imagine being lost is a sea of Gerhoh of Reichersbergs, Gerald of Wales, Anselm of Havelbergs or Ordericus Vitalises. Bon courage!
The book is a selection of nine essays from Père Chenu's La théologie au douzième siècle. Chenu was a leading intellectual figure in French Catholicism in the 20th century and rightfully belongs with other such great scholars as Henri de Lubac and Yves Congar. Etienne Gilson, of the Pontifical Institute of Medieval Studies, provides the preface and it was this that initially attracted me to the book.
Père Chenu then provides his own introduction where he expresses his overarching theme in the book:
"I have deliberately attempted an interpretation of events and of texts, not, to be sure, by making some ideological imposition upon them in subserviance to some thesis or system, but by making an impassioned search for internal points of contact...
One always runs the risk of a subjective interpretation which imputes unverifiable and possibly imaginary relationships to the reality being described. But this risk is worth runningif it is true that the task of the historian is to construct and not simply to recover...Our understanding of the twelfth century has been distorted by the rationalist prejudices of the Enlightenment philosophy." (p. xix)
The ten chapters/essays are:
1) Nature and Man- The Renaissance of the Twelfth Century
2) The Platonisms of the Twelfth Century
3) The Symbolist Mentality
4) The Old Testament in Twelfth Century Theology
5) Theology and the New Awareness of History
6) Monks, Canons, and Laymen in Search of the Apostolic Life
7) The Evangelical Awakening
8) Masters of the Theological 'Science'
9) Tradition and Progress
Now each of these chapters will be of varying interest to the reader because the subjects are so diverse, ranging from Medieval philosophy to theology to exegesis to... But the underlying theme is that the 12th Century constituted a veritable renaissance in the true sense and that the 12th century was a dynamic time of great social and intellectual change. Chenu presents the Medieval mind as one that was struggling to adapt to the new situation as society emerged from a period of isolation. The Medieval mind, at its height, was cognizant of its place in history, as inheritor or a great body of knowledge, from the Greeks, the Jews and the Church Fathers. As they struggled to integrate these ideas into a coherent whole, they were conscious of their place in history, and Chenu would add that the 12th century invented the concept of history in the Church. "Thus Christendom became aware of its historical evolution in the twelfth century." (p. 201)
This book is not for novices in the field. The numerous references to obscure figures is deliberate as Chenu looks beyond the official ecclesial history to get a sense of the atmosphere of the era. If John of Salisbury and Richard of St Victor are unfamiliar faces, imagine being lost is a sea of Gerhoh of Reichersbergs, Gerald of Wales, Anselm of Havelbergs or Ordericus Vitalises. Bon courage!
June 2, 2017
Not an easy, but fascinating read if you are into the history of thinking.
September 19, 2014
A wonderfully thick description of intellectual changes in the 12th century and how they connect with the social, technological, and economic changes of the period. Really a collection of essays more than a book, it's a helpful resource for anyone trying to understand the period it covers or the relationship between the emergence of new ideas and the life setting from which they arise.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews