Changes

What Such a narrative depicts the Middle Ages as a period of philosophical and academic poverty, which could not be further from the truth. The eyes of the people were opened, they revolted against the system (which is more or less synonymous with Christendom) and began studying philosophy again which allowed for the scientific revolution. Furthermore, religion hardly served as an impediment to such philosophical inquiries but was a stimulus for them. So, this short essay will aim to give a brief sketch of the relationship between faith and reason intellectual landscape as it pertains to Christendom in the Middle Ages?.

===IntroductionScholasticism===Most likely when you learned about the Middle Ages in history you became familiar with it’s dubious nickname[[File: The Dark AgesAquinas. This nickname jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|Thomas Aquinas]]One example of a booming intellectual enterprise developed within the medieval period was bestowed upon scholasticism, a philosophical methodology developed in the years directly following the collapse late eleventh and early twelfth century. The dawn of the Roman Empire (6th/7th century) up until the beginning scholasticism is typically associated with two figures, in particular, Anselm of the RenaissanceCanterbury and Peter Abelard, which eventually bore the Early Modern Period or Enlightenmentthough its most notable representative is Thomas Aquinas. So then, the story supposedly goes like this: Western Europe Scholasticism was trapped within a theological methodology that focused primarily on the clutch application of tradition and religion until a “rebirth” dialectic (or renaissancelogic) in which ancient philosophical texts were newly discovered order to weigh and translated into Latin (making them available judge the veracity of competing for study). The eyes of the people were openedtheological viewpoints, they revolted against specifically those inherited by the system (which is more Patristics or less synonymous with Christendom) and began studying philosophy again which allowed for the scientific revolution“Church Fathers. Such a narrative depicts ”  Scholastics did not regard faith as something contrary to reason but believed that the Middle Ages as intellect was a period medium of philosophical growing in faith through meditation on God and his mysteries. Such intellectual rigor and academic poverty, which could not be discipline would lead one to further from the truthunderstanding. FurthermoreScholastics did not only study theology using dialectic, religion hardly served though. Many such as a impediment to such philosophical inquiriesAbelard were skilled logicians or grammarians and dabbled in metaphysics, ethics, but was a stimulus for them. Soontology, it will be the aim of this short essay to give brief sketch of the intellectual landscape legal and political philosophy as it specifically pertains to Christendom in the Middle Ageswell.

===Scholasticism===One example In the “high middle ages” (the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries) two religious orders dominated the realm of a booming intellectual enterprise developed within the medieval period was scholasticism, a philosophical methodology developed in the late eleventh : Franciscans and early twelfth centuryDominicans. The dawn One of scholasticism is typically associated with the most discussed and heavily debated questions amongst these two figures in particular, Anselm religious orders was something contemporary philosophers might call moral psychology or philosophy of Canterbury and Peter Abelard, though it’s most notable representative is Thomas Aquinasmind. Scholasticism The debate was a theological methodology that focused primarily on the application of dialectic (logic) in order regards to weigh and judge whether the veracity of competing theological viewpoints, specifically those inherited will was determined by the Patristics or “Church Fathersintellect in terms of choice.” Scholastics did not regard the faith as something contrary The Dominicans (to reason, but which Aquinas belonged) believed that the intellect was a medium of growing in faith through meditation on God dominant and his mysteriesdid determine the will. Such an intellectual rigor and discipline This meant that in moral deliberation if one truly knew what was right (what was good) then the will would lead one to further understandingcarry said action out. Scholastics did not only study theology using dialectic, though. Many such as Abelard were skilled logicians or grammarians, and dabbled in metaphysics, ethics, ontology, legal and political philosophy as wellThis position is dubbed the “intellectualist” position.

In the “high middle ages” (the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries) two religious orders dominated the realm of scholasticism: franciscans and dominicans. One of the most discussed and heavily debated questions amongst these two religious orders was something contemporary philosophers might call moral psychology or philosophy of mind. The debate was in regards to whether the will or the intellect was dominant in practical reasoning. The Dominicans (to which Aquinas belonged) believed that the intellect was dominate. This meant that in moral deliberation if one truly knew what was right (what was good) then the will would carry said action out. This position is dubbed the “intellectualist” position. The Franciscans were representative, generally, of what is called voluntarism. This view is more or less opposite of the intellectualist position. It holds that the intellect could supply the will with the right option, but that the will could simply refuse to carry out what it knows , or even believes to be, is good. In other words , they observed that sometimes the will is “weak” and doesn’t carry out what it knows it should.<ref>For more on Franciscan Voluntarism see: Williams, Thomas. <i>John Duns Scotus: Selected Writings on Ethics</i>(Oxford:Oxford University Press, 2017).</ref>

[[File:Illuminated.jpg|thumbnail|left|250px|Fourteenth century illuminated manuscript]]As Irvin and Sunquist note, Monasticism has always been known as a dominant center of learning in the West. Monks during the Middle Ages were responsible for the preservation of Europe’s intellectual history. Because the printing press had yet to be developed, books had to be copied by hand--monks were primarily responsible for doing so due to their extended amount of free time (as opposed to farmers, merchants, or knights who were burdened by intense physical labor) and their knowledge of grammar that was deemed necessary for participation in liturgical life. Indeed, many monasteries had libraries that served as archives for local records and contained a vast collection of invaluable manuscripts that were carefully preserved for scholars and clerics to study.<ref> Irvin & Sunquist,<i>History of the World Christian Movement</i>(Indianapolis: Orbis, 2008), pg. 423.)</ref>

Further, an important aspect of monastic life was education, specifically the study of the scriptures, the early church fathers (Patristics) , and the classics of the Greco-Roman period. Learning was considered a form of devotion to God and a necessary component of loving God in body, mind, and spirit. In addition , it is also known that some convents even engaged in the copying of manuscripts and provided intellectual avenues for learned (albeit aristocratic) women to pursue the a scholarly life.

As John C. Scott describes, the university in the Western World was a creation of the Middle Ages.<ref>Scott, John C. "The Mission of the University: Medieval to Postmodern Transformations." <i>The Journal of Higher Education</i> 77, no. 1 (2006): 1-39 .</ref> The very first institutions for higher learning apart from the monastery were known as cathedral schools, specifically designed by the bishop in major cities to train and educate clergy. As European societies became increasingly complex and new forms of specialized education were in need, the university extended as a natural outgrowth of these cathedral schools. For instance, the University of Paris (est. c.1150) was an extension of the cathedral school at Notre Dame, the cathedral in Paris.<ref>Haskins, C.H. <i>The Rise of Universities</i>.(Holt and Company, 1923), pg. 292.</ref> However, the University of Paris is not unique in it’s its Christian affiliation. Cambridge’s first college was founded by the Bishop of Ely (in the province of Canterbury) in 1284. Oxford too, the oldest university in the English -speaking world, is known to have had strong ties with the Dominicans, Franciscans, Augustinians , and Carmelites as early as the thirteenth century. So, it would be safe to say that the creation of the modern, western university had its roots in Christendom, particularly the cathedral schools and monastic movements of the Middle Ages. It would be hard to defend an anti-intellectual caricature of religion in light of these realities.

All of this is not to say that the medieval university was a place free from any academic restriction whatsoever. Although education featured largely in the Christian world it was most certainly restricted in some significant ways. A major concern of both the Church and its related institutions was the maintenance of orthodoxy (straight teaching in Latin). Certainly , scholasticism provided a means for philosophers and theologians to extrapolate on the tradition (and sometimes even explicitly questioning it), but too far of a deviation was no doubt a cause for concern and sometimes scholars were forced to recant their positions or were expelled from the university if found guilty of heresy.  The concern appears to be mostly theological on the surface; however, there is significant evidence to suggest that many instances of condemned heresy were more rightly political disputes and controversies. <ref>Courtenay, William J. "Inquiry and Inquisition: Academic Freedom in Medieval Universities."<i>Church History</i> 58, no. 2 (1989): 168-81.</ref>

Hopefully , it has become clear that through an investigation into the actual intellectual climate of the Middle Ages that it was a period of intellectual growth and interest, not a period indebted to scholarly barrenness. Monks, scholastic philosophers, and clergymen alike all rendered study as an essential component to growing their faith and devotion to God. Not only was were the Bible and the Patristics suitable for study, but also subjects such as logic, grammar, and the classics of the Greco-Roman Period, including Cicero, Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics.  Indeed, there was an obvious synthesis between Christianity and reason that existed during the Medieval period. Reason was thought to shed light on theological questions; it was not viewed as a danger to the faith. The dichotomy between faith and reason that many are surely familiar with in today’s political and cultural climate would not be introduced until after the Reformation and grew substantially among fundamentalist reformed movements in America in the seventeenth century. <div class="portal" style="width:85%;">==Related DailyHistory.org Articles==*[[Why did the Italian Renaissance End?]]*[[How did the Bubonic Plague make the Italian Renaissance possible?]]*[[What was the role of the Popes in the Renaissance?]]*[[What were the causes of the Northern Renaissance?]]*[[How did the Renaissance influence the Reformation?]]*[[What was the Borgias contribution to Renaissance Italy?]]</div>===References===<references/> [[Category:Wikis]][[Category:Religious History]][[Category:Medieval History]][[Category:Christian History]][[Category:Roman History]]{{Contributors}}