Abelard and Heloise: personal relationship in the socio-cultural context of the 12th century

The 12th century was a controversial period of deepening ecclesiastical influence on all strata of the population, strengthening church prohibitions, expansion of convents; the century of establishing a new stratum of intellectuals, the first rise of women role in society and the formation of the courtly culture’s foundations. Philosopher Peter Abelard and his student Heloise were chosen for examination by us as the bright personalities of the 12th century, a product of medieval society and the voices of their time. An exceptional historical case of well-documented reliable information on the personal relationship allows us to correlate the world-view of lovers and their lives with the socio-cultural realities of High Middle Ages. The aim of the article is a historical analysis of the relationship between the philosopher-teacher Abelard and the student Eloise in the socio-cultural context of the 12th century. In previous studies scholars have only indirectly touched certain aspects of the teacher-student relationship in the context of intimate gender relations of the High Middle Ages. We analysed the autobiography of Peter Abelard, the letters of Abelard’s contemporaries, his correspondence with Eloise. We arranged scientific achievements of historians and examined personal life of the couple against the background: tactics of seduction, intimacy, determining and understanding the relationship status, men’s standing in society after castration. Emphasis is placed on the progress of 12th century’s social consciousness in the light of the personalities’ world-view analysis. A division between individual views and the Catholic medieval outlook is analysed. Through the study of the transformation of the relationship between teacher and student, and future lovers, we have shown that the views of Eloise and Abelard illustrate a feasible range of medieval perceptions of the relationship, in tune with the new era challenges, yet integral to its time.

“The Universe Is an Animal”

This chapter looks at theories of world soul in the medieval period, considering texts from the Islamic world and Latin Christendom. The central theme is the comparison between the cosmos and an individual human, who is conceived as a so-called microcosm. By this logic, since the human has a soul, so must the cosmos. Plato’s Timaeus is shown to be a key source for both cultures, including in Christian authors who detected a reference to the Holy Spirit behind Plato’s notion of World Soul. Figures in focus include al-Razi, the Brethren of Purity, the School of Chartres, Peter Abelard, and Hildegard of Bingen.

Conflict and Authority: William of Saint-Thierry and Peter Abelard as Readers of Origen

This study compares how two prominent twelfth-century Latin authors and theological opponents, namely the monastic author William of Saint-Thierry (c. 1080–1148) and the school master Peter Abelard (1079–1142), variously understood the authority of the controversial yet influential Greek author Origen (c. 184–253) in their works. Modern scholars who study the reception of Origen in the twelfth-century Latin West have, to this point, spoken of an Origenian revival in this period, concluding that Origen was especially popular in the cloister, among Cistercian monks, such as Bernard of Clairvaux and his followers, like William of Saint-Thierry, based on the assumption that as monks they found his writings more relevant. This study seeks to challenge this scholarly narrative by focusing on two authors who are perceived as typifying two different strands of theology, one of a contemplative character developed in the cloister (William) and one making use of dialectics and developed in the emerging schools (Abelard). By demonstrating that the schoolmaster Abelard drew on Origen to a greater degree and in a more transparent manner than his monastic opponent, this study will show that Origen’s popularity in the cloisters was not, as such, a clear point of distinction between them and schools in the way that has usually been claimed by modern scholarship.

The Mechanism of Perception of an Antique Text by a Medieval Author (Based on Macrobius and P. Abelard’s Texts)

The texts of Peter Abelard (1079 1142), usually mentioned among the medieval authors who were influenced by Ambrosius Theodosius Macrobius’ “Commentary on the 'Dream of Scipio'” (5th c.), are analyzed. The passages from Peter Abelard’s works (“Dialogus inter philosophum”, “Epitome theologiae christianae”, “Introductio ad theologiam” etc.), which contain quotations, lexical and thematic similarities with Macrobius’ “Commentary on the ‘Dream of Scipio’ ” are under consideration, as well as the mentions of the title of this work or the name of Macrobius. Peter Abelard’s level of knowledge and degree of use of Macrobius’ text are revealed. The influence exerted by Macrobius on Peter Abelard is determined. Based on the results obtained, it is concluded that, in contrast to the opinion widespread in science, it hardly makes sense to talk about the tangible influence of Macrobius’ “Commentary on the 'Dream of Scipio'” on Peter Abelard. Rather, it should be assumed that the ideas perceived by the medieval scholar and reflected in his texts went back to Macrobius as well. Under the influence exerted by Macrobius’ “Commentary on the 'Dream of Scipio'” on Peter Abelard one should mean both his knowledge about Macrobius himself and his work and the varying degree of his use of this treatise.

The World after the Schism: One Thing after Another, 1140–1145

This chapter studies how, in the years that followed the final departure of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux from Italy, he encountered what might be called “one damn thing after another,” the chaos that makes up the very stuff of history and human life. Probably during Lent of 1139, he faced his first challenge. His friend and later biographer, William of Saint-Thierry, sent him a brief treatise attacking the theology of Peter Abelard. Sometime between May of 1139 and June of 1140, Bernard composed a fairly lengthy treatise attacking what he considered to be the heresies of Abelard, concerning the doctrines of the Trinity and the Redemption. He addressed it to no less a person than Pope Innocent II, the very man from whom he temporarily had broken off contact because of Innocent's refusal to reinstate Cardinal Peter of Pisa. The Abelard affair thus forced Bernard to get back in touch with Rome and abandon the solitude he must have sought at Clairvaux after the death of his brother Gerard.