Book Series Brepols Library of Christian Sources, vol. 4

Richard of Saint-Victor

Richard of Saint-Victor, On the Trinity

Prologue and Six Books

Aage Rydstrøm-Poulsen

  • Pages: 304 p.
  • Size:156 x 234 mm
  • Language(s):English, Latin
  • Publication Year:2021

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  • ISBN: 978-2-503-59412-5
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  • ISBN: 978-2-503-59413-2
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Review(s)

"Victorine studies is currently experiencing something of a renaissance, with Brepols publishers serving as a leader in this regard. Their ‘Bibliotheca Victorina’ series contributes specialized studies in various European languages, and the ‘Victorine Texts in Translation’ series provides Victorine writings in English. Taken together, these series have yielded an embarrassment of riches for contemporary students of the abbey of Saint Victor. The two books discussed in this review are crucial elements for Victorine studies and both are most welcome additions to Brepols’ growing Victorine library." (Dennis P. Bray, in Medieval Mystical Theology, 2022)

« (…) l’ouvrage d’Aage Rydstrom-Poulsen remplit bien son rôle, qui est d’inviter un public plus large que les seuls spécialistes à entrer dans le chef d’œuvre théologique de Richard de St-Victor, quitte à en poursuivre l’exploration par la prise en compte des études en nombre croissant qui paraissent à son sujet. » (Dominique Poirel, dans la Revue d'Histoire ecclésiastique vol. 117/1-2, 2022, p.349)

 

 

BIO

Aage Rydstrøm-Poulsen is MTh University of Aarhus 1978, PhD University of Copenhagen 1993, Visiting Scholar at Western Michigan University 1993 and 1995-98, and Dr.Theol. University of Copenhagen 2002 with a dissertation on The Gracious God. 'Gratia' in Augustine and the Twelfth Century (Akademisk Forlag 2002). He has published on the medieval history of theology. Since 2004 he is the chair of the Department of Theology at the University of Greenland, in 2008 president of the University, since 2018 dean of the Institute of Culture, Language, and History.

Summary

Richard of Saint-Victor’s On The Trinity from the 12th century is a main source for our understanding of a leading intellectual tradition of the Western world in which love was regarded the highest and the best in the human world and therefore also was the reality in which the highest and the best, God, was to be seen. Richard understands human love as interpersonal so that love must be realized between two persons, but for being the highest love that excludes any private and selfish love, both loving persons must share their love with a third person.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements
Abbreviations
Introduction

1. Richard of Saint-Victor and the 12th Century
a. The Augustinian Tradition
b. Human Love
c. Richard’s Influence

2. Richard and Saint-Victor
a. The Abbey
b. Monastery and School
c. Internationalism
d. The Death of Richard

3. The Theological Method
a. Faith and Reason
b. Reason and Experience
c. The Augustinian-Anselmian Tradition
d. The Necessary Reasons
e. Reason and Mysticism

4. Love and Trinity
a. Love and the Highest Love
b. Caritas ordinata and amor discretus
c. Condilectio
d. Unity and Plurality in Love
e. Anthropomorphism?

Richard of Saint-Victor, De Trinitate / On The Trinity
Latin Text and English Translation side by side.

Bibliography
Index of Names