Merchant in the Confessional : Trade and Price in the Pre-Reformation Penitential Handbooks / by Odd Langholm

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Merchant in the Confessional : Trade and Price in the Pre-Reformation Penitential Handbooks / by Odd Langholm THE MERCHANT IN THE CONFESSIONAL Odd Langholm BRILL THE MERCHANT IN THE CONFESSIONAL STUDIES IN MEDIEVAL AND REFORMATION THOUGHT FOUNDED BY HEIKO A. OBERMAN † EDITED BY ANDREW COLIN GOW, Edmonton, Alberta IN COOPERATION WITH THOMAS A. BRADY, Jr., Berkeley, California SUSAN C. KARANT-NUNN, Tucson, Arizona JÜRGEN MIETHKE, Heidelberg M. E. H. NICOLETTE MOUT, Leiden ANDREW PETTEGREE, St. Andrews MANFRED SCHULZE, Wuppertal VOLUME XCIII ODD LANGHOLM THE MERCHANT IN THE CONFESSIONAL SMRT-93-lang.qxd 7-11-2002 15:05 Page iii THE MERCHANT IN THE CONFESSIONAL TRADE AND PRICE IN THE PRE-REFORMATION PENITENTIAL HANBOOKS BY ODD LANGHOLM BRILL LEIDEN • BOSTON 2003 SMRT-93-lang.qxd 7-11-2002 15:05 Page iv This book is printed on acid-free paper. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Langholm, Odd, 1928- The merchant in the confessional : trade and price in the pre-Reformation penitential handbooks / by Odd Langholm. p. cm. -- (Studies in medieval and Reformation thought ; v. 93) Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index. ISBN 9004129049 (hard cover) 1. Penitentials--History--To 1500. 2. Business--Religious aspects--Christianity--History of doctrines--Middle Ages, 600-1500. I. Title. II. Series. BX2266.B87 L36 2003 264'.020862--dc21 2002034384 Die Deutsche Bibliothek - CIP-Einheitsaufnahme Langholm, Odd : The Merchant in the Confessional : Trade and Price in the Pre-Reformation Penitential Handbooks -- Leiden ; Boston : Brill 2003 (Studies in Medieval and Reformation Thought ; Vol. 93) ISBN 9004 129 049 ISSN 0585-6914 ISBN 90 04 12904 9 © Copyright 2003 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Brill provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910 Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change printed in the netherlands v CONTENTS Preface ........................................................................................ vii Introduction ................................................................................ 1 PART ONE TRANSALPINE AND IBERIAN AUTHORS Chapter One The libri poentitentiales and their early successors ................................................................................ 15 Chapter Two The Dominican tradition from Raymond of Peñafort .............................................................................. 32 Chapter Three The Dominican tradition from John of Freiburg .............................................................................. 49 Chapter Four The Franciscan tradition ................................ 66 Chapter Five Miscellaneous works ........................................ 83 PART TWO ITALIAN AUTHORS Chapter Six The Franciscan tradition to Bernardino of Siena .................................................................................. 103 Chapter Seven The Dominican tradition to Savonarola .... 122 Chapter Eight The Franciscan tradition: Nicolò of Osimo, Bartolomeo Caimi, Pacifico of Cerano ................................ 138 Chapter Nine The Franciscan tradition: Angelo Carletti .... 158 Chapter Ten The Franciscan tradition: Battista Trovamala .............................................................................. 175 Chapter Eleven The Franciscan tradition: minor and later works ............................................................................ 191 Chapter Twelve Miscellaneous works .................................... 204 Chapter Thirteen The Dominican tradition in the sixteenth century .................................................................... 214 langhom f1_prelims 11/6/02 11:52 AM Page vi vi PART THREE DOCTRINAL AND HISTORICAL OVERVIEW Chapter Fourteen The pitfalls of trade ................................ 233 Chapter Fifteen The benchmarks of price ............................ 244 Chapter Sixteen The fortunes of avarice .............................. 256 Bibiliography .............................................................................. 273 Index of Names .......................................................................... 285 PREFACE Current knowledge of medieval economic thought is based on pri- mary sources in which economic activity is examined from many different points of view. This study deals with a literary tradition that examines economic activity from the point of view of sin and penance as taught by the medieval Church. It is a broad study in terms of the size of its source material. The penitential handbook as a genre spans many centuries and comprises works varying greatly in size and complexity. The numerous minor works, briefly presented and quoted together in some of the chapters of this book, are as relevant for a true picture of the tradition as the major works granted a chapter of their own or a large part of a chapter. The study is a narrow one, however, in that it focuses on a subset (albeit a central one) of economic subjects. It is narrow also in that it largely disre- gards the different circumstances of time and place in which these many books were written. Intellectual history cannot be told without regard to material and institutional history, but considerations of space in the monograph format hopefully justify this restriction of scope. Some fine critical editions of penitential handbooks have appeared in recent decades, but the large majority of works included in the study are available only in early printed editions or remain still in manuscript. Some of the printed versions proved to be cor- rupt and called for recourse to the manuscript traditions. Some of the manuscripts are rare, unreliable, or in poor condition. A certain amount of collation was required. For financing the search for ser- viceable texts I thank the Norwegian Research Council. Special thanks are due to Elisabeth Stiegler, who produced the printable form of this book from my succession of drafts. Most of all I thank my wife, Grethe, for companionship and encouragement on yet another expedition into medieval Europe. langhom f2_1-12 11/6/02 11:53 AM Page 1 1 INTRODUCTION Most studies of economic thought in Europe in the centuries prior to the Reformation are based on academic texts, composed by and for professionals in the fields of philosophy, theology, and law. Less attention has been paid to pastoral and other religious literature of a more popular nature. The source material of the present study is one branch of pre-Reformation religious literature, namely, the hand- books for confessors or, more widely defined, the penitential hand- books. In these books, individual believers, including merchants, are examined and instructed regarding sin in general and with reference to their particular states and professions. The focus of the study is on trade and price, because price is the principal economic parameter. Adjacent subjects, like moneylending and usury, or labour relations and wages, are reported on only insofar as they shed light on price doctrine. The original intention was to limit the study to the large Italian penitential summas composed on the eve of the Reformation. It soon became evident, however, that these works could not be properly evaluated and their message communicated to the reader unless they were seen as end products of a long and complex liter- ary tradition. Hence the decision to chart the whole tradition from its origins, rather than bring it in piecemeal and ad hoc. Books I and II can then be read as a history of the pre-Reformation penitential handbook as a literary genre, with emphasis on the han- dling of sins related to trade and price. Some works less concerned with these subjects are included because they indicate different trends in the material or because they may be useful for scholars intent on studying some other subjects, not necessarily an economic one, in the same sources. The authors whose works are examined are pre- sented in the table on the following pages, according to a combined geographical, denominational, and chronological classification. An attempt was made to mirror this threefold classification in the analysis of the texts. Works by transalpine and Iberian authors are analyzed in Part I and works by Italian authors in Part II.1 Members of the 1 “Transalpine and Iberian” was preferred to the negative sounding “non-Italian”. There are only a handful of Iberian authors in the material examined, most of langhom f2_1-1211/6/0211:53AMPage2 2 PRE-REFORMATION AUTHORS OF PENITENTIAL HANDBOOKS Miscellaneous authors Dominican authors Franciscan authors Transalpine and Italian Transalpine and Italian Transalpine and Italian Iberian Iberian Iberian Bartholomew of Exeter Alan of Lille Peter the Chanter 1200 1200 Robert of Courson Paul of Hungary William de Montibus Raymond of Peñafort Robert of Flamborough Conrad of Höxter Peter of Poitiers William of Rennes John of Kent Thomas of Chobham Robert Grosseteste Odo of Cheriton Jacques of Vitry Alexander Stavensby Walter of Cantilupe Johannes de Deo 1250 1250 Robert of Sorbon Burchard of Strasbourg Albert of Brescia Peter Quesnel Monaldus of Capodistria Peter of Sampsona John of Freiburg Chiaro of Florence Servasanto of Faenza 1300 1300 Bérengar Frédol William of Cayeux Bart. of S. Concordio John of Erfurt
Recommended publications
  • On the Integrity of Confession As Prolegomena for Luther and Trent
    Theological Studies 54(1993) THE SUMMAE CONFESSORUM ON THE INTEGRITY OF CONFESSION AS PROLEGOMENA FOR LUTHER AND TRENT KiLiAN MCDONNELL, O.S.B. Institute for Ecumenical and Cultural Research, Collegeville, Minn. TT ΤΠΉ THE EXCEPTION of satisfaction, no Reformation issue concern- W ing the sacrament of penance was so hotly debated as integrity of confession, the requirement that one must make a complete confes­ sion. In part, the heated discussion was related to the role integrity played in Catholic penitential life. Speaking of the Catholic practice just prior to the Reformation, T. N. Tentler contends that 'to exagger­ ate the importance of completeness seems hardly possible."1 The Fourth Lateran Council (1215) gives the classical formulation: the faithful "must confess all their sins ... to their own priest at least once a year."2 The Protestant historian of penance, H. C. Lea, calls this "the most important legislative act in the history of the Church,"3 partly because a legislated confession is not free. The Council of Flor­ ence (1438-45) modified the Lateran decree; integrity is defined as "all the sins one remembers."4 Luther objects that even this is an impossible task, like "counting the sands," endlessly numbering and weighing sins, detailing their circumstances, thus leading to torments of conscience, ending in de­ spair.5 Though Luther himself retains the catalogue of sins as an aid to the examination of conscience,6 as does Melanchthon,7 both cite Psalm 19:13: "Who knows how often one sins?"8 No command exists for 1 Sin and Confession on the Eue of the Reformation (Princeton, Ν J.: Princeton Univ., 1977) 109.
    [Show full text]
  • Penitential Discipline and Public Wars in the Middle Ages: a Mediaeval
    Penitential discipline and public wars in the Middle Ages A MEDIAEVAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF HUMANITARIAN LAW The International Review is pleased to be able to publish this study and acknowledges its thanks to the author for having given per- mission for its translation and reproduction. Originally the subject of a series of three lectures delivered at King's College, London ( University of London) in 1957, it makes an important contribution, although con- fined to a limited period in history, to the development of humanitarian law. We have, in view of its original length and of its academic character and with the author's approval, summarized certain passages, which are printed in italics. This study deals with an important though little known period in the history of Christian institutions and the attempts which the Church made to mitigate some of the cruelty of war. Attempts tending towards the same ends were also made by other religions which proved to be effective and are of considerable interest. The Red Cross takes good care not to forget this and we will publish other articles on the same subject to complete this series with reference to the attitude of civiliza- tions in the East and in the Far East. (Editorial Note) * * During the period which it is proposed to consider, from the closing years of the Sixth Century to the beginning of the Twelfth Century, the Penitential Canons and the Penitential Books together PENITENTIAL DISCIPLINE AND PUBLIC WARS form the main stream of penitential discipline. The latter will be referred to throughout this study as the " penitentials ".
    [Show full text]
  • Jason Taliadoros I. INTRODUCTION This Paper Is an Attempt to Reflect
    SACRED RULES, SECULAR REVELATIONS: THE CONCEPTIONS OF RIGHTS IN PRE-MODERN EUROPE Jason Taliadoros I. INTRODUCTION This paper is an attempt to reflect on the methodological approaches that I bring to ‘reading law’ in my current project on understandings of individual rights in the legal and theological texts of the twelfth- and early thirteenth-century Middle Ages, entitled ‘Sacred Rules, Secular Revelations: The Conceptions of Rights in Pre-Modern Europe’.1 It is first necessary to say something about my own intellectual background, which informs the methodologies that I employ in this research. I am an historian and lawyer. Following my undergraduate training in law and history, I worked as a lawyer in private and in-house roles off and on for more than five years. In one of these ‘off’ periods, I completed my PhD in the discipline of history, although the subject matter of my thesis dealt with legal history, intellectual history, history of law, and the history of ideas. For a time I taught medieval history in Australia and the United States. In a subsequent, but not contiguous, ‘off’ period, I published this PhD thesis as a monograph (Taliadoros 2006b). My current role is the third ‘off’ 1 This research forms part of my Discovery Project ‘Sacred Rules, Secular Revelations: The Conceptions of Rights in Pre-Modern Europe’, which is funded by the Australian Government ARC through its National Competitive Grants Program and institutionally supported by the School of Historical Studies at Monash University. I wish to acknowledge and thank both these institutions. Sortuz. Oñati Journal of Emergent Socio-legal Studies.
    [Show full text]
  • Colleague, Critic, and Sometime Counselor to Thomas Becket
    JOHN OF SALISBURY: COLLEAGUE, CRITIC, AND SOMETIME COUNSELOR TO THOMAS BECKET By L. Susan Carter A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of History–Doctor of Philosophy 2021 ABSTRACT JOHN OF SALISBURY: COLLEAGUE, CRITIC, AND SOMETIME COUNSELOR TO THOMAS BECKET By L. Susan Carter John of Salisbury was one of the best educated men in the mid-twelfth century. The beneficiary of twelve years of study in Paris under the tutelage of Peter Abelard and other scholars, John flourished alongside Thomas Becket in the Canterbury curia of Archbishop Theobald. There, his skills as a writer were of great value. Having lived through the Anarchy of King Stephen, he was a fierce advocate for the liberty of the English Church. Not surprisingly, John became caught up in the controversy between King Henry II and Thomas Becket, Henry’s former chancellor and successor to Theobald as archbishop of Canterbury. Prior to their shared time in exile, from 1164-1170, John had written three treatises with concern for royal court follies, royal pressures on the Church, and the danger of tyrants at the core of the Entheticus de dogmate philosophorum , the Metalogicon , and the Policraticus. John dedicated these works to Becket. The question emerges: how effective was John through dedicated treatises and his letters to Becket in guiding Becket’s attitudes and behavior regarding Church liberty? By means of contemporary communication theory an examination of John’s writings and letters directed to Becket creates a new vista on the relationship between John and Becket—and the impact of John on this martyred archbishop.
    [Show full text]
  • Martin Luther the Ninety-Five Theses Or Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences 1517
    Primary Sources Reformation History Martin Luther The Ninety-Five Theses Or Disputation On The Power And Efficacy Of Indulgences 1517 Translated by C. M. Jacobs Revised by Harold J. Grimm [From: Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, American Edition. Helmut T. Lehmann, General Editor (Philadephia: Fortress Press, 1957), Volume 31: 17-34] INTRODUCTION From Luther’s day to the present, October 31, 1517 has been considered the birthday of the Reformation. At noon on this Eve of All Saints’ Day, Luther nailed on the Castle Church door, which served as a bulletin board for faculty and students of the University of Wittenberg, his Ninety-five Theses, as his Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences has commonly been called. That he intended these theses to serve as a basis for a scholarly discussion with his colleagues at the University of Wittenberg and other learned men can be gathered not only from his own words and those of his colleagues, but also from the fact that they were written in Latin. His act may have been prompted by the circumstance that people were gathering in Wittenberg to adore the remarkable collection of religious relics of Frederick the Wise on All Saints’ Day and to receive indulgences for their act of piety. In the Ninety-five Theses Luther applied his evangelical theology to indulgences. He hoped thereby to find an answer to a practical problem which had disturbed him and other sincere Christians for a long time. As a pastor he had noted the bad effects of indulgences upon the members of his own congregation, many of whom were going to nearby Jüterbog and Zerbst in Brandenburg to buy indulgence slips from Johann Tetzel.
    [Show full text]
  • Henry Ii New Interpretations
    HENRY II NEW INTERPRETATIONS edited by Christopher Harper-Bill and Nicholas Vincent THE BOYDELL PRESS Henry II.indb 3 3.9.2007 15:34:49 Contents List of Illustrations vii Editors’ Preface ix List of Abbreviations xi Introduction : Henry II and the Historians 1 Nicholas Vincent The Accession of Henry II 24 Edmund King Henry II and Louis VII 47 Jean Dunbabin Doing Homage to the King of France 63 John Gillingham Henry, Duke of the Normans (1149/50–1189) 85 Daniel Power Henry II and England’s Insular Neighbours 129 Seán Duffy Henry II , the English Church and the Papacy, 1154–76 154 Anne J. Duggan On the Instruction of a Prince : The Upbringing of Henry, 184 the Young King Matthew Strickland Henry II and the Creation of the English Common Law 215 Paul Brand Finance and the Economy in the Reign of Henry II 242 Nick Barratt Henry II.indb 5 3.9.2007 15:34:49 vi Contents Henry II and the English Coinage 257 Martin Allen The Court of Henry II 278 Nicholas Vincent Literary Culture at the Court of Henry II 335 Ian Short Henry II and Arthurian Legend 362 Martin Aurell Index 395 Henry II.indb 6 3.9.2007 15:34:49 Anne J. Duggan Henry II, the English Church and the Papacy, 1154–76 He preponderant historical opinion of Henry II’s relations with the English Church and with the papacy is easily summarised as reasonably T amicable, apart from the Becket crisis, which represented an aberration from the broad accommodation that characterised the relationship between the regnum and the sacerdotium.
    [Show full text]
  • Penitential Canons”
    TEOLOGIA MŁODYCH 4, S. 10-18 CĂTĂLINA MITITELU Ovidius University of Constanta, Romania THE APPLICATION OF EPITIMIAS IN THE SEE OF CONFESSION ACCORDING TO THE „CANONICAL CUSTOM” AND THE „PENITENTIAL CANONS” I. THE CANONICAL CUSTOM, BASIS FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE OIKONOMIA In the sources of the orthodox canonical Law, we find out that the „συνήθεία” (canonical custom) was invoked as a source and basis even for the application of the Oikonomia. For example, Saint Basil the Great († 379) says that „(...) the true cure is to move away from sin; (...)” (Canon 3), and not the penance itself, be it even the defrocking1 of a cleric, but, in matters of criminal Canon Law, „we need to know both”, namely to apply both the „Acribia”, and the „canonical Custom”, which forsee the application of „Oikonomia”. Indeed, according to the apostolical and post-apostolical Tradition the Confessor has rather to apply the „Oikonomia” in order to obtain the healing of the sin committed by the penitent, and not „Acribia”. So, also in the case of the application of epitimias, the Confessor ought not only to be faithful to the observation and strict application of the canonical Legislation, namely of „τῆς ἀκριβείας” (the Acribia), but ought mainly to apply the principle of Oikonomia, which Saint Basil the Great identified with the principle affirmed by the custom (συνηθεία), namely by the old and continued practice in matters of penitential Discipline, a principle actually retained and affirmed also by the unwritten Law. But, exactly these „unwritten laws”, transmitted and preserved from generation to generation, had, both during the time of Saint Basil the Great and during that of the Fathers of the VIth Ecumenical (Trullan) Synod, „(...) the power of the written laws (...)”2.
    [Show full text]
  • Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences Commonly Known As the 95 Theses by Dr
    Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences Commonly Known as The 95 Theses by Dr. Martin Luther ut of love and concern for the truth, and with the object of eliciting it, the following heads will be the subject of a public discussion at Wittenberg under the presidency of the reverend father, Martin Luther, Augustinian, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and duly appointed Lecturer on these subjects in that place. He requests that whoever cannot be present personally to debate the matter orally will do so in absence in writing. 1. When our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, said "Repent", He called for the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. 2. The word cannot be properly understood as referring to the sacrament of penance, i.e. confession and satisfaction, as administered by the clergy. 3. Yet its meaning is not restricted to repentance in one's heart; for such repentance is null unless it produces outward signs in various mortifications of the flesh. 4. As long as hatred of self abides (i.e. true inward repentance) the penalty of sin abides, viz., until we enter the kingdom of heaven. 5. The pope has neither the will nor the power to remit any penalties beyond those imposed either at his own discretion or by canon law. 6. The pope himself cannot remit guilt, but only declare and confirm that it has been remitted by God; or, at most, he can remit it in cases reserved to his discretion. Except for these cases, the guilt remains untouched.
    [Show full text]
  • The Penitential David of Ganjak
    CORPUS SCRIPTORUM CHRISTIANORUM ORIENTALIUM EDITTJU CONSILIO UNIVERSITATIS CATHOLICAB AMERICAE ET UNIVERSITATIS CATHOLICAE LOVANIENSIS ===== Vol. 217 SCRIPTORES ARMENIACI TOMUS 4 THE PENITENTIAL OF DAVID OF GANJAK TEANSLATED BY C. J. P. DOWSETT LOTJVAIN DTJ CoRPUsSCO 49, CH, DE WAVRE 1961 INTRODUCTION Until recent years the XratJc' kanonakank* of Dawit' son of Alawik written in or near Ganjak at the beginning of the twelfth century remained in virtual obscurity. The few opinions that were expressed on the work in the 18th and 19th centuries were largely unfavourable. y M. Cameean considered it « chaotic and unintelligible»a, and C. F. Neumann held it to be «eine Arbeit von wenig Wert ohne alle Ordnung und in so roher und verworrener Schreibart, dass man oft nu'r schwer den Sinn herausbringen kann. » 2 Y. Tasean dismissed it as consisting of «largely foolish matters»3 and nineteenth century Armenian literary histories treat in with little respect 4. It is not possible to say that the criticism was altogether unjustified. At the beginning of the present century, however, in 1906/7, an article by K. Kostauean5 drew attention to the unique nature of Dawit' of Ganjak's work in the field of Armenian litera- ture and to its historical importance in providing a trustworthy picture of the life and beliefs of the author's own time. In 1910 fj. Alisan cited a few passages from the Xratk* in his work on ancient Armenian religious beliefs 6. Its significance for the history of Armenian law was discussed by X. Samuelean in 1939 7, and 1 xafnixufn ocov ew animast 'baniwTc* : PatmuPiwn Hayoc, Venice, 1786, t.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nature of Law and Legality in the Byzantine Canonical Collections 381-883
    Durham E-Theses The Nature of Law and Legality in the Byzantine Canonical Collections 381-883 WAGSCHAL, DAVID,FERGUSON How to cite: WAGSCHAL, DAVID,FERGUSON (2010) The Nature of Law and Legality in the Byzantine Canonical Collections 381-883, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/468/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 The Nature of Law and Legality in the Byzantine Canonical Collections 381-883 David Ferguson Wagschal The present work seeks to explore the nature of law and legality in the Byzantine canonical tradition through a careful reading of the central texts of the Byzantine canonical corpus. The principal topics to be considered include the shape and growth of the corpus as a whole, the content and themes of the traditional prologues, the language, genre and style of the canons themselves, and the traditional thematic rearrangements of the canonical corpus.
    [Show full text]
  • Explore the English Translation of Luther's Ninety-Five Theses
    95 theses translation: silkscreened PANEL on wall 57 x 81 in. colors: background bm 2082-10 chestnut / type: bm 1003 kitten whiskers Out of love for the truth and the desire to elucidate it, the following theses will be publicly discussed in Wittenberg presided over by the Reverend Father Martin Luther, Master of Arts and Sacred Theology, and regular lecturer on those subjects at that place. He asks that those who cannot be present and debate orally with us shall in their absence do so by letter. In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. 1 When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, “Repent” (Matt. 4:17), 33 Men must especially be on guard against those who say that the 63 But this treasure is naturally most odious, for it makes the first he willed the entire life of believers to be one of repentance. pope’s pardons are that inestimable gift of God by which man is to be last (Matt. 20:16). 2 This word cannot be understood as referring to the sacrament reconciled to him. 64 On the other hand, the treasure of indulgences is naturally most of penance, that is, confession and satisfaction, as administered 34 For the graces of indulgences are concerned only with the pen- acceptable, for it makes the last to be first. by the clergy. alties of sacramental satisfaction established by man. 65 Therefore the treasures of the gospel are nets with which one 3 Yet it does not mean solely inner repentance; such inner 35 They who teach that contrition is not necessary on the part of formerly fished for men of wealth.
    [Show full text]
  • Isaac of Stella, the Cistercians and the Thomas Becket Controversy: a Bibliographical and Contextual Study
    Marquette University e-Publications@Marquette Dissertations, Theses, and Professional Dissertations (1934 -) Projects Isaac of Stella, the Cistercians and the Thomas Becket Controversy: A Bibliographical and Contextual Study Travis D. Stolz Marquette University Follow this and additional works at: https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu Part of the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Stolz, Travis D., "Isaac of Stella, the Cistercians and the Thomas Becket Controversy: A Bibliographical and Contextual Study" (2010). Dissertations (1934 -). 87. https://epublications.marquette.edu/dissertations_mu/87 ISAAC OF STELLA, THE CISTERCIANS AND THE THOMAS BECKET CONTROVERSY: A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND CONTEXTUAL STUDY by Travis D. Stolz, B.A., M.Div. A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty ofthe Graduate School, Marquette University, in Partial Fulfillment ofthe Requirements for the Degree ofDoctor of Philosophy Milwaukee, Wisconsin December 2010 ABSTRACT ISAAC OF STELLA, THE CISTERCIANS AND THE THOMAS BECKET CONTROVERSY: A BIBLIOGRAPHICAL AND CONTEXTUAL STUDY Travis D. Stolz, B.A., M.Div. Marquette University, 2010 Isaac of Stella (ca. 1IOO-ca. 1169), an English-born Cistercian and abbot, has been dwarfed by Bernard of Clairvaux and other ofhis twelfth-century Cistercian contemporaries in terms ofliterary output and influence, giving him a reputation as an elusive and marginal figure. Isaac's 55 sermons and two treatises are modest compared to the productivity of other monastic writers and his position as the abbot of an obscure monastery in western France has not helped to raise his visibility among the luminaries of the twelfth century. He is remembered as a mysterious and often tragic figure in the annals ofhistory.
    [Show full text]