Power and Authority in Medieval Debates Theories of Authority and the Medieval Church Power Authority and Church Foundations Defining Authoritative Christianity Doctrine and Scholasticism Peter Abelard 1079 1142 and Early Scholastic Debates St Thomas Aquinas 1225 1274 Reason and the Totality of Human Knowledge The Church and Medieval Bureaucracies Developing Authority in Medieval Kingdoms Louis IX of France 1214 90 and the King as Saint Tensions in his Early Reign King as the One Who Imposes Order King as a Holy Man A Final Note on Louis IX and the Papacy Theories of Authority and the Medieval Church Power Authority and Church Foundations There are two powers august Emperor by which this world is chiefly ruled namely the sacred authority of the priests and the royal power Of these that of the priests is the more weighty since they have to render an account for even the kings of men in the divine judgment You are also aware dear son that while you are permitted honorably to rule over human kind yet in things divine you bow your head humbly before the leaders of the clergy and await from their hands the means of your salvation In the reception and proper disposition of the heavenly mysteries you recognize that you should be subordinate rather than superior to the religious order and that in these matters you depend on their judgment rather than wish to force them to follow your will Gelasius 494 Doctrine of the Two Swords 1 Defining Authoritative Christianity Doctrine and Scholasticism Medieval Students Medieval writing tablet 2 Texts with commentaries Peter Abelard 1079 1142 and Early Scholastic Debates Abelard and Heloise Among the multitudinous words of the Holy Fathers some sayings seem not only to differ from one another but even to contradict one another If in the Gospels themselves some things are corrupted by the ignorance of scribes we should not be surprised that the same thing has sometimes happened in the writings of later Fathers who are of much less authority It is no less important in my opinion to ascertain whether texts quoted from the Fathers may be ones that they themselves have retracted and corrected after they came to a better understanding of the truth as the blessed Augustine did on many occasions We have undertaken to collect various sayings of the Fathers that give rise to questioning because of their apparent contradictions This questioning excites young readers to the maximum of effort in inquiring into the truth and such inquiry sharpens their minds From Sic et Non 3 An academic debate Thomas Aquinas 1225 1274 Reason and the Totality of Human Knowledge Summa Theologica Two key themes in scholastic philosophy 1 Humans play an active role in obtaining knowledge and achieving their own salvation 2 Heaven and earth form one continuum a holistic view of the world 4 The Church and Medieval Bureaucracies St Dominic refuting the Cathars Investiture controversy in Germany 1076 77 Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV Contemporary image showing Henry asking for Hugh of Cluny and Mathilda of Tuscany to act as mediators Developing Authority in Medieval Kingdoms Louis IX of France 1214 1270 and the King as Saint Tensions in His Early Reign 5 King as the One who Imposes Order King as a Holy Man 6 King Performs Good Deeds King supports the church 7 Final Note on Louis IX and the Papacy Pope Boniface VIII King Philip IV the Fair of France 8
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