Language, Method, and Selection of Models: The Relationship between Theological Writing and Search for Unity in Jean Gerson’s Though
Abstract
The search for unity in the doctrinal sphere, mirror and instrument of the unity of the Church, is a recurring element in the work of Jean Gerson (1363-1429), renowned theologian and Chancellor of the University of Paris between the 14th and the 15th century. The insistence on the concept of unity is conveyed by a constant reflection on the role and methods of the theological writing. Gerson identifies precise methods and models to follow in order to explain some obscurities of the Scriptures with clarity and precision, and without risks for the integrity of the doctrine. A fundamental part of the reflection on theological writing is the discussion on the possibility of using vernacular, a possibility that the Parisian chancellor strongly denies, stigmatizing the linguistic confusion which inevitably would lead not only to mutual misunderstanding, but to the breakdown of a correspondence between terms and concepts that has its roots in a consolidated and centuries-old theological tradition in Latin. The present article intends to study Gerson’s reflection on the language, methods and selection of models in the context of the academic theological writing, in the broader framework of the search for unity in the doctrinal sphere, a necessary element for pursuing the unity of Church tout court.Downloads
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