ZENON KAŁUŻA, “Supremum vale”: Giles Charlier’s Discourse at the Conclusion of His “Lecture on the Sentences” of Peter Lombard

SUMMARY

The article consists of an introduction and edition of a short discourse which concludes a cycle of lectures on the work of Peter Lombard held in the college at Cambrai (also known as the college “of three bishops”) in the academic year 1416–1417. After a short note on the person of Giles Charlier (a Paris theologian, dean of the Cathedral Chapter in Cambrai and an important participant at the Council of Basel) and the state of research on the discourse published, the remainder of the introduction deals exclusively with the discourse itself. The discourse can be divided into three parts. It is a triple act of gratitude: first to God, then to the creators and teachers of theology, selected as representatives of all theologians of the past; lastly, there is some very high praises for the school of the college at Cambrai. Giles thanks the masters, the bachelors who delivered parallel lectures on the Sentences, and the students of his school. The central part is undoubtedly the most interesting. From the doctrinal point of view, one notes the author’s consciousness of a separate construct of the theological discipline in Albert the Great’s teachings as opposed to those of Thomas Aquinas, as well as Giles’ cool attitude to the criticism of Saint Thomas generated by the Dominican Durand of Saint-Pourçain.