Opera theologica VI

The Sententie of Peter Abelard (1079-1142) are the only work of his which attempts a comprehensive summary of Christian theology. It reflects the awareness of early twelfth-century scholars of the need to teach theology in a more systematic way and thereby to bring to the attention of students the main questions to be faced in intelligent enquiry into the contents and the sources of Christian belief. However, Abelard denied writing a book of Sentences and also disowned the authorship of a book of Sentences which was judged to contain his heretical teaching at the council of Sens in 1140. In this volume are presented the versions of a book of Sentences that was written by a student or students of Abelard towards the end of his teaching career, and a reconstruction of the parts of a Liber sententiarum magistri Petri from which Abelard's critics copied excerpts. In an introduction the authorship, composition and contents of these texts is examined in detail. The edition of the Sententie is designed to show the varying versions of these and of other reports of Abelard's teaching, reports that combine written and oral sources. David Luscombe is responsible for this volume which owes much also to the generous collaboration of assistants in the University of Sheffield, namely J. Barrow, C. Burnett, K. Keats-Rohan and C. Mews.

Petrus Abaelardus — Liber sententiarum magistri Petri [Abaelardi] (fragmenta in aliis scriptis servata) — ed. C. J. Mews

Petrus Abaelardus — Sententiae magistri Petri Abaelardi — ed. D. Luscombe