Spencer E. Young. Scholarly Community at the Early University of Paris

If we remain under-informed about many crucial aspects of the social history of the early University of Paris, an institution whose beginnings have exercised scholarly minds for almost a century and a half, it is perhaps less because of the lack or unavailability of sources than because of the traditional tendency of intellectual historians to focus on the trees rather than on the forest. But this has improved considerably in recent years, and many books and articles now emphasize circles, networks, and communities rather than great men and great ideas. Building on the pioneering efforts of scholars like John W. Baldwin, Jacques Verger, and especially William J. Courtenay, Spencer E. Young’s fine-grained study adds to a growing body of historical detective work that looks at the relation between institutional setting and social dynamics during a formative period in the history of the university. His focus is on the generation of theologians active around the time of the papal bull Parens scientiarum (1231), which brought an end to the university strike of 1229 by ensuring the future independence and self-governance of its teaching personnel.

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