Scholasticism and the 13th Century

Introduction

Scholasticism refers to the theological movement that was dominant in the church from the thirteenth century onwards. Its power seemed to be weakened, in particular Aristotelian Thomism who was the object of severe criticism. Other theological systems seemed to have lost their vigour as well. The early reformation said farewell to what was seen as defunct theology. The parting was proclaimed with much intensity and very radically, partly because of the fervour of the rediscovery of the gospel. In historical research, however, it has become obvious that this farewell to scholasticism as a method was not decisive or final. (Lewis, Elizabeth, Langer and Jason, pp. 111-121) The reappearance of Aristotle in the 1530s is one of the developments that added something to the character of the reformation.

Scholastic theology is not simply medieval theology (by contrast with patristic theology) but the theology of the "school," that is, the theology of the university, an original institution that appeared in the Latin West in the early 13th century (Decock, pp. 89-133). It is thus to be distinguished both from monastic theology (Lewis, Elizabeth, Richard and Jason, pp. 111-121; Anselm of Canterbury, Bernard of Clairvaux) and from other forms of the search for an "understanding of the faith,” powerfully orchestrated by dialectics and developed in the urban theological schools of the 12th century.

Scholastic theology is scholastic not only in its institutional location but in its methods, its objects, and its program itself, which is inseparable from the Aristotelian idea of science (Christian Aristotelianism). It is in fact characterized by its desire to be a science, not simply an art, and especially not a mere defensive apologia for religion, as is the case, for example, with the kalâm in Islam. This choice of science was linked to the rediscovery of the Aristotelian corpus, accompanied by Arabic philosophical and scientific texts all of which supplied concepts, tools, and new procedures. But it was also tied to progress accomplished in the Latin world itself, in the area of the arts of language in general as well as in the area of logic in particular. Scholastic theology was the offspring of the logic modern times, of semantics and of the philosophy of language that had developed since Abelard. It was also linked to the expansion of methods of discussion specific to the pedagogical world of the university. Scholastic theology was thus not a monolith. It went through breaks and changes in scientific paradigms comparable to those experienced generally by the university age.

This study wants to highlight the scholastic stages of development of relationship between faith and reason. Unwilling to contextualize the topic this study will highlight the importance of the problem. We are indeed in an age of transition almost (from the 3rd century A.D. onwards), an era in which we introduce new philosophical reflections and there you can see how the major thinkers of the period have compared different philosophical issues.

Exasperated contrast between faith and reason not had much luck in medieval ...