|
|
Robert Grosseteste
ca.
1168 - 1253
|
|
 Theology
and Music at the Early University : The Case of Robert
Grosseteste and Anonymous IV (Brill's Studies in Intellectual
History, Vol 57) by Nancy
Van Deusen.
At the climax of one
of his most important and comprehensive works, De cessatione
legalium, the thirteenth-century theologian and natural
philosopher, Robert Grosseteste, uses a musical example to make
a point fundamental to the treatise. Music, using time as its
material, located between the abstract and the concrete, served
as an analogy, thus making a difficult philosophical concept
perceptible. In using music as an analogy, Gorsseteste drew upon
a long tradition established by Augustine, confirmed within the
new Aristotelian reception, and a newly-translated Platonic
dialogue. But the first rector of the University of Oxford was
also demonstrating music's place within the curriculum of the
early university, namely, as a ministry discipline, efficiently
and efficaciously exemplifying traditional Augustinian, as well
as new Aristotelian principles. This book unites the most
important theological-philosophical subjects discussed by Robert
Grosseteste throughout his prodigious output, with those
exemplified by an anonymous contemporary English writer on
music. The work shows how music collaborated with the other
liberal arts, operating within the early university curriculum
as a ministry discipline. Music made accessible through the
figurae of its notation, and through sound, otherwise nearly
unapproachable, new Aristotelian concepts. The influence was
reciprocal in that new Aristotelian tools and conceptualization
greatly influenced music notation and style. Music theory has
been studied in isolation, as pertaining only to music. This
study is the first to relate music of the early thirteenth
century to its intellectual context, overturning dogma,
uncritically accepted since the beginning of this century,
concerning so-called "modal rhythm," and showing how
"contrary motion," rather than forming a musical
convention, demonstrated a key Aristotelian concept..
 Click
here to learn more about this book
|
|
Excerpt:
Born in Suffolk, Grosseteste studied and taught at the
University of Oxford, where he became one of the most famous teachers of
his time. He was the university's chancellor from 1215 to 1221, and
later lectured to Franciscans there until his appointment as bishop of
Lincoln in 1235....
|
|
Excerpt:
Robert Grosseteste was educated at Oxford University. He
became Chancellor of Oxford University in 1215 remaining in this post
until about 1221. After this he held a number of ecclesiastical
positions, then from 1229 to 1235 he was a lecturer in theology to the
Franciscans.
He became Bishop of Lincoln in 1235 and remained in
this position until his death. As Bishop of Lincoln he attended the
Council of Lyon (1245) and addressed the papal congregation at Lyon in
1250...
|
|
Excerpt:
Had the leaders of the thirteenth century heeded this
preacher, many of the disasters of the following three centuries might
have been avoided. Robert was a peasant lad from Suffolk, born about
1175. He distinguished himself at Oxford in law, medicine, languages,
natural sciences, and theology. He became what is now called Chancellor
of Oxford University.
In 1235, he was elected Bishop of Lincoln, in area the
largest diocese in England. He promptly visited all the churches in the
diocese and quickly removed many of the prominent clergy because they
were neglectng their pastoral duties. He vigorously opposed the practice
by which the Pope appointed Italians as absentee clergy for English
churches (collecting salaries from said churches without ever setting
foot in the country). He insisted that his priests spend their time in
the service of their people, in prayer, and in study. He went on a
pilgrimage to Rome, where he spoke out boldly against ecclesiastical
abuses. Back in England, he spoke against unlawful usurpations of power
by the monarch, and was one of those present at the signing of the Magna
Carta...
|
|
This site includes links to encyclopedic articles and
a short bibliography.
|
|
This site is dedicated to providing electronic access
to the Latin works of Robert Grosseteste. Materials relating to
Grosseteste's life, and the thirteenth century may also be found here.
|
 |
|
