The Summa Halensis

The founding of the first chartered university at Paris around 1200 set in motion a cultural revolution in the field of higher education. In this context, members of the recently-founded Franciscan order quickly came to the fore as trend-setters in scholarly debates. This volume undertakes the first collective study of major doctrines and debates presented in a work authored jointly by the first Franciscan scholars at Paris, the so-called Summa Halensis (1236-45), which codifies the key elements of their burgeoning intellectual tradition. Although early Franciscans are often regarded as unoriginal followers of past authorities, the contributions illustrate how they innovated in ways that laid the groundwork for the later development of Franciscan thought, which is often regarded as a forerunner modern thought. This ground-breaking study is therefore crucial for understanding the further course of intellectual history and the origins of philosophy and theology as academic disciplines.

Lydia Schumacher, King's College, London, UK.