The "Council" Concept in the Liber de Sectis Heraticorum et Orthodoxe Fidei Dogmata of Balduin of Canterbury as An Anti-Heretical Argument
Abstract
This article analyses the concept of “council” in the Liber de sectis hereticorum et orthodoxe fidei dogmata, a work that has been for a long time considered that of an anonymous author and only recently attributed to its actual author, Balduin of Canterbury. After introducing the text and its structure, the author proceeds to place Balduin’s treatise in the theological context of the 12th century. He then discusses the two heretical movements, Catharism and Nihilism, that are refuted in the work and suggests that the very structure of the Liber is determined by Balduin’s intent at refutation. The author also points out that Balduin’s position is grounded in a basic theological tenet, namely that the doctrinal orthodoxy, taught by the Councils and the Popes, results in a perfect unity. It is within this fundamental thesis that one must contextualize the concept of “council” which allows one to enter into Balduin’s work and gives the reader an insight into the problems that the author of the Liber had to resolve in order to defend it.Downloads
References
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