The Council of Sens Reconsidered
Masters, Monks, or Judges
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 3532840 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Wim Verbaal (Ghent University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2005 |
| Volume | 74 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 460-493 |
| Publication date | 2005-09-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Church History (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0009-6407 • E-ISSN: 1755-2613 |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1017/s0009640700110789 |
| OpenAlex | W2115080399 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 10 |
The Council of Sens (May 25, 1141), during which the teaching of Peter Abelard († 1143) was condemned by an ecclesiastical court, has long been one of the most disputed subjects in twelfth-century scholarship. The outcome of the Council, understood as a victory for Bernard of Clairvaux († 1153) over master Abelard, bequeathed us centuries of distorted historical interpretation. For far too long, understanding of what happened was firmly based on the account given by Bernard's biographers, in the first place his secretary (and adoring admirer) Geoffrey of Auxerre, who related the confrontation between Bernard and Abelard in his contribution to the hagiographical biography of the abbot. Not unnaturally, the Vita places Bernard at the center of his time, making him the dominant figure of the twelfth century. Thus no doubt was admissible concerning Abelard's heresy and Bernard's right and justice in condemning him
Art · Art history · Biography · Economic Justice · Heresy · Interpretation (philosophy) · Literature · Political science · Scholarship · Theology · Victory · Classics · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · History · Law · Medieval European Literature and History · Medieval Literature and History · Philosophy
| Highly cited | No |
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