Geschichte der Theologie im Mittelalter

The Cambridge History of Later Medieval Theology", ed. Joseph Wawrykow and Thomas Prügl, offers, in one volume, a comprehensive and reliable introduction to Christian theological literature originating in western Europe from, roughly, the mid-eleventh century to the Eve of Reformation. Approaching theology in the said period from various angles, the volume will review the major forms of medieval theology, sketch the main doctrinal developments, introduce the principal practitioners and depict the engagement by high and later medieval theologians with various "others". With such approach the volume has no parallel on the current book market; it will attract the attention of not only theologians and medievalists, but also of historians, philosophers, and philologists. Theology will be examined in this volume as part of medieval culture and intellectual life, but also as an expression of medieval Christianity in its universal ecclesial and particularly Western setting. The volume will be divided into four major parts. Part I (Context and Forms) looks at the institutional settings of medieval theology, the milieus of the schools and cloisters; it describes study instruments and the various literary forms of medieval theology. Part II (Theology Topics) examines the great theological topics (God, Trinity, Christ, creation and providence, virtues and grace, sacraments, church, eschatology) as they emerged and developed over the period from 1100 to 1500. This part will not on the people, but on the ideas. Part III (Theologians), on the other hand, presents the main figures and schools among the medieval theologians, highlighting their respective contributions and particular theological profiles. Finally, Part IV (Theology and othersMedieval Theology between Encounter, Conflict and Confrontation) investigates the conflicts that arouse within theologyacademic or popularleading to disciplinary measures and condemnations. This final part will also watch the encounter between "catholic" theology with other faiths (Judaism and Islam) as well as with other theological and ecclesial traditions, such as Greek and Eastern Christianity. Besides the editors, 35 scholars from Europe and the US contribute to this volume, each of them being an expert on his or her own field of study. This broad range of authors guarantees that the volume will not just result in an encyclopedia of interesting details, but that each part and each chapter contribute to the conceived unity of the work, relying and referring on each other and engaging in the current scholarly discussion. Besides offering reliable descriptions, the chapters and essays will also identify desiderata and respond to ongoing controversies. In that way the volume will provide not only orientation, but also resources and suggestions for future scholarship.