Robert Pullus
Encyclopedia
Robert Pullus was an English cardinal, philosopher and theologian, of the twelfth century.
) in the first decades of the twelfth century. In 1133 he began to teach at Oxford
, being among the first of the celebrated teachers in the schools which were afterwards organized into the University of Oxford
.
After the death of king Henry I of England
(1135) he returned to Paris; thence he went to Rome, where he was appointed cardinal
and Chancellor of the Apostolic See. His influence was always on the side of Catholic orthodoxy and against the encroachments of the rationalistic tendency represented by Abelard. This we know from the biography of St. Bernard written by William of St. Thierry, and from his letters.
Robert's "Summa" was first published by the Maurist Dom Hugo Mathoud (Paris, 1655). It is reprinted in Migne (P.L., CLXXXVI, 639 sqq.).
Biography
He was born in England about 1080; died 1147-50. He seems to have studied in Paris (at the SorbonneSorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
) in the first decades of the twelfth century. In 1133 he began to teach at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
, being among the first of the celebrated teachers in the schools which were afterwards organized into the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
.
After the death of king Henry I of England
Henry I of England
Henry I was the fourth son of William I of England. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106...
(1135) he returned to Paris; thence he went to Rome, where he was appointed cardinal
Cardinal (Catholicism)
A cardinal is a senior ecclesiastical official, usually an ordained bishop, and ecclesiastical prince of the Catholic Church. They are collectively known as the College of Cardinals, which as a body elects a new pope. The duties of the cardinals include attending the meetings of the College and...
and Chancellor of the Apostolic See. His influence was always on the side of Catholic orthodoxy and against the encroachments of the rationalistic tendency represented by Abelard. This we know from the biography of St. Bernard written by William of St. Thierry, and from his letters.
Works
Robert wrote a compendium of theology, entitled "Sententiarum Theologicarum Libri Octo", which, for a time, held its place in the school of Western Europe as the official text book in theology until it was supplanted by the "Libri Sententiarum" of Peter the Lombard, compared with whom Robert seems to have been more inclined to strict interpretation of ecclesiastical tradition than to yield to the growing demands of the dialectical method in theology and philosophy. The Lombard, however, finally gained recognition and decided the fate of scholastic theology in the thirteenth century.Robert's "Summa" was first published by the Maurist Dom Hugo Mathoud (Paris, 1655). It is reprinted in Migne (P.L., CLXXXVI, 639 sqq.).