Robert holkot holcot was the most significant dominican theologian of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries. In order to stimulate the debate on the history of biblical reception, the departments of dogmatics and ecumenics, biblical studies, and church history have invited mark elliott to give a lecture. More impressive are the 175 manuscripts of his commentary on the book of wisdom lectiones super librum sapientiae, a work that has been identified as a prime literary source for chaucers nuns priests tale. Scribal colophon of john lutton, in robert holcots. The wisdom books translated by robert alter with commentaries is quite a relief for anyone interested in 1 ancient literature, 2 biblical writings, or 3 philosophy to live by. The book of wisdom was written about fifty years before the coming of christ. Holcot thought the book of wisdom should be included in the canon, not least because it is a manual for leadership.
Attempts are made to highlight how holcot interprets the biblical book. He wrote in greek, in a style patterned on that of hebrew verse. In addition, other later medieval texts crucial to an understanding of the intersection of scholastic and reformative theology will be made available. Description this book offers an introduction to the thought of robert holcot, a great and influential but often underappreciated medieval thinker. Robert holcot s commentary on wisdom is often called a medieval best seller and is extant in hundreds of manuscripts spread throughout europe. This is an introduction the thought of robert holcot, a dominican friar who flourished. Icelandic institute receives book of wisdom as gift. Portions of lectures on ecclesiastes also survive, most likely from his time in northampton, and he was known to be giving lectures on ecclesiasticus when he died.
Drawing upon these same resources, holcot composed a commentary on the book of wisdom that became a bestseller in the medieval world. Robert holcot great medieval thinkers, john t slotemaker. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In this book john slotemaker and jeffrey witt restore holcot to his rightful place as one of the most important thinkers of his time. Holcot rejects both the speculative philosophical and theological definitions of wisdom and points his reader to the stoics. Robert holcot was a dominican friar who flourished in the 30s and wrote a diverse body of work, including scholastic treatises, biblical commentaries, and sermons. This text, postilla super librum sapientiae, was readily found in any wellcurated 15 th century european library, and survives in 175 manuscripts and over twelve incunabula spread across europe. Beryl smalley prioritized two manuscripts of holcot s commentary on wisdom. His most famous biblical lectures, on the book of wisdom, are associated with cambridge, and survive as the postilla super librum sapientiae slotemaker and witt 2015, 162214. This book is an introduction to the thought of robert holcot, a great and influential but often underappreciated medieval thinker. The commentary on the book of wisdom was printed in 1480, and, subsequently, went through many editions. He became a dominican, and studied at oxford, where he became dominican regent master, before returning to the dominican priory of northampton, where he died of the plague in 49. An ancient manuscript on display at the culture house. Tachau skip to main content we use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites.
Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading the book of wisdom. More impressive are the 175 manuscripts of his commentary on the book of wisdom lectiones super librum sapientiae, a work that has been identified as a. The nature and style of holcots commentary on the book of wisdom. Holcot, robert of dnb00 wikisource, the free online. The second book of chaucers dreamvision poem the house of. Its author, whose name is not known to us, was probably a member of the jewish community at alexandria, in egypt. By attempting to look at the whole of holcots corpus, this book aims to provide a more comprehensive account of his thought, challenging previous characterizations of him as a skeptic or fideist. Generally dated to the mid first century bc, 1 the central theme of the work is wisdom itself, appearing under two principal aspects. Project muse ripples on the water the acoustics of.
Holcot was still read in the sixteenthcentury when the parisian theologian, jacques almain, wrote a work engaging holcot s opinions. Tao te ching by lao tzu, mans search for meaning by viktor e. The name of the english dominican robert holcot was still familiar to european intellectuals in the seventeenth century, thanks in part to the wide diffusion of his challenging questions on the sentences of peter lombard, but even more to the ready availability of his lectures on the biblical book of wisdom. This chapter introduces readers to holcot s most famous work, his commentary on the book of wisdom. Regarding the former, smalley writes that in the margins of balliol 27 there are references to the liber magistri the book of the master written in a hand that is contemporary with the text itself. Holcot was still read in the sixteenthcentury when the parisian theologian, jacques almain, wrote a work engaging holcots opinions. By attempting to look at the whole of holcot s corpus, this book aims to provide a more comprehensive account of his thought, challenging previous characterizations of him as a. Holcot s commentary on the book of wisdom was popular in the middle ages, and we are fortunate to hold a copy in worcester cathedral library in manuscript f155, which was probably made in worcester in the fourteenth century. The lxx reading of the book of wisdom, translated by brenton.
The late beryl smalley preferred to use two manuscripts of the commentary on wisdom. However, formatting rules can vary widely between applications and fields of interest or study. Because this book is so massive and varied in its style and organization, this chapter aims to provide the reader with a useful overview of the commentary, exposing how holcot structures the commentary and divides up the biblical book itself. A follower of william of ockham, he was nicknamed the doctor firmus et indefatigabilis. By viewing the whole of holcots corpus, this book provides a comprehensive account of his thought. He received his doctorate at oxford, lecturing on peter lombards sentences, the main theology textbook, in the years 3133, and served as regent master there, most likely from 3638. The work, a book of wisdom super librum sapientiae, contains commentary by robert holcot on the wisdom of salomon, ruv.
Wisdomcommentary of the dominican friar robert holcot d. His most famous writings, as preserved in the present manuscript. This book offers an introduction to the thought of robert holcot, a great and influential but often underappreciated medieval thinker. Robert holkot was from the village of holcot or cot in the rock as he glossed. Donor inscription, in robert holcots commentary on the.
Slotemaker, 9780199391240, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. The book of wisdom kindle edition by podnar, robert. The writer i have in mind is robert holcot, the dominican friar best known for his widely circulated commentary on the deuterocanonical book of wisdom. This book introduces the reader to a wide range of important issues holcot grappled with, and looks at holcots interlocutors and intellectual legacy. Attempts are made to highlight how holcot interprets the biblical book in contrast to other commentaries. This is an introduction the thought of robert holcot, a dominican friar who flourished in the 30s. An edition of the questions on the sentences was printed at lyon in 1497, although it contained a cover letter stating that the manuscripts used to produce this edition were disorderly and unreliable. The book of wisdom or wisdom of solomon is a jewish work, written in greek, and most likely composed in alexandria, egypt. The book of wisdom, it was said, is solomons inasmuch as it is based on solomonic works which are now lost, but which were known to and utilized by a hellenistic jew centuries after solomons death. The commentaries give insight into the original authors techniques and cosmology helping us appreciate the genius of teh insights and presentation of the writings. Holcots commentary on the book of wisdom was a medieval.
Seeing the future clearly studies and texts robert. Frankl, the art of war by sun tzu, meditations by marcus aurelius. His lecture is titled the book of wisdom, robert holcot, and modern theology. Download pdf durham research online durham university. His most famous biblical lectures, on the book of wisdom, are. A follower of william of ockham, he was nicknamed the doctor firmus et indefatigabilis his commentary on the book of wisdom lectiones super librum sapientiae was widely known in the fourteenth century, and later, when after. Holcot was a dominican friar who flourished in the 30s and produced a diverse body of work including scholastic treatises, biblical commentaries, and. Holcot was a dominican friar who flourished in the 30s and produced a. Although holcot produced a diverse and influential body of workincluding scholastic treatises, biblical commentaries, and sermonshe is often overlooked today. Holcot was a dominican friar who flourished in the 30s and produced a diverse body of work including scholastic treatises, biblical commentaries, and sermons. Fishpond australia, robert holcot great medieval thinkers by john t slotemaker jeffrey c wittbuy. The sermons of robert holcot and ralph friseby volume 46 katherine h.
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