David G Terrell
1 May 2011
Title
Signs of Change: Conceptualizations of Justice and Mercy in 13th Century Christianity in the
Letters of Robert Grosseteste, Bishop of Lincoln
Thesis
letters, differed from the normative theological stance held by his 13th century contemporaries
Bibliographic Essay
The sources necessary to prove the thesis fall into three general categories. First are the
primary and secondary sources necessary to determine Grosseteste’s attitudes and views
concerning the concepts of divine justice and mercy. These will principally be Grosseteste’s
own letters, amplified where necessary with more explicit declarations he may have made in his
Sermons and other pastoral writings and supported by the biographies and theological
monographs written about him. Second, the researcher will consider sources which expound the
theological views common in 12th and 13th century European Christianity with regard to the same
concepts. These sources take the form of primary sources originating with Grosseteste’s
contemporaries and of secondary sources generalizing and synthesizing their views. Third, this
researcher will appeal to primary and secondary sources that describe conceptualizations of
justice and mercy that emerged before and in the Protestant Reformation, several hundred years
later. The theology of John Wycliffe and Martin Luther will be particularly investigated as
Grosseteste-centric Sources
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Terrell DG – Masters Thesis Literature Review
Letters and Autographic Documents. The first category of sources, those by and about
Grosseteste with insight into his theological views, must center about the letters written by
Grosseteste himself. They are most readily accessible in a recent book, in which the 132 extant
letters, and the documents that circulated with them, are translated into English by Mantello and
Goering. The letters illustrate Grosseteste’s character, convictions, assumptions and concerns.
distinguished between those letters and documents Grosseteste included in his official collection,
probably meant for official dissemination, and a second group of letters that survived outside of
the collection. The letters represent official correspondence in which Grosseteste provided
instruction, requested favors, or offered advice and personal communications. The language of
the letters seems very expansive and overwrought to the modern reader, but Grosseteste, familiar
with accepted forms of letter writing, produced them in conformance with the vocabulary in
Biographies. Other sources of value are the five principle Grosseteste biographies. 2 The
earliest biography, written by Pegge in 1793, is written in two parts. The first is a straight
narrative that chronicles Grosseteste’s interactions with papal and secular authority; and, his
actions as bishop relative to his immediate superiors and subordinates. The second part of
Perry’s biography, written in 1871, is another narrative which positions Grosseteste as the
proto-protestant of the 13th century. Perry’s entire narrative focus is upon the vice and
corruption Grosseteste found in the church once he became bishop. Any analysis of
1
Mantello, 3-6.
2
There are five Grosseteste biographies: Pegge (1793), Perry (1871), Stevenson (1899), Southern (1986), and
McEvoy (2000).
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Terrell DG – Masters Thesis Literature Review
Grosseteste’s theological stance must be inferred from Perry’s assessments of his opinions and
intentions. That said, as Perry wraps up the story of Grosseteste’s life, he dwells upon his
character that makes this researcher believe that, between Perry’s obvious anti-Catholicism and
English nationalism, one will be able to glean some sense of Grosseteste’s theological attitudes.
Stevenson acknowledges the existence of ambiguity in illuminating Grosseteste’s life and career,
stemming from a lack of information; and, that previous interpretations may have been biased.
Stevenson seems to avail himself of papal registers that previous biographers did not and his use
of these materials could serve to provide a better conception of Grosseteste’s opinions and
The next biography, Southern’s, was not published until 1986. During those 90 years,
Grosseteste scholarship continued to translate, analyze and disseminate his writings but, no
further biographies were written. Southern revisited Grosseteste’s life because he came to
believe that previous biographies were incorrect when they asserted that Grosseteste was
educated in Paris. In the 13th century, religious education in Paris was considered critical to
advancement in the church. While there were no explicit records to indicate Grosseteste had
schooled in Paris, his chancellorship at Oxford and his call to the Bishopric in Lincoln assured
later scholars that he had. Southern points to Grosseteste’s early career as a natural philosopher,
his style of speech, and his modes of argument as evidence he studied in English provincial
schools, perhaps at Oxford itself, contradicting those who insisted he studied in France.
Southern’s biography is not a pure narrative. Instead, it traces the history of Grosseteste’s
scientific and theological modes of thinking—his ―vision.‖ Later in the book, Southern examines
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Terrell DG – Masters Thesis Literature Review
Grosseteste’s thought pertaining to God as it evolved over time. Here, one is likely to find hints
Finally, McEvoy wrote his work in 2000 as part of the Great Mediaeval Thinkers series
published by Oxford University Press. This book, intending to provide an overall view of
Grosseteste’s life, and his philosophical and theological contributions, takes the time to examine
the historiography surrounding Grosseteste providing readers insight into the historical origins of
the ideas about which Grosseteste thought. One of the book’s primary aims, ―to expound
Grosseteste’s thought on the basis of his authentic writings, and insofar as possible to understand
his own ideas and initiatives in the light of developments taking place around him…,‖3 explicitly
Studies and Essays. When examining scholarly publications about Grosseteste, one finds
that the overwhelming majority of work has examined him as a philosopher or in an Episcopal
context. In a sense, scholarship overlooked his many writings on pastoral theology, the time he
spent as a professor of theology at Oxford, and his continued interest in theological issues while
bishop of Lincoln. In 2004, Ginther published his study of Grosseteste as theologian, in which
he examines the focus of his theology, ―the person and work of Christ‖ and surveys the state of
An earlier book of essays, edited by Callus and published in 1953, commemorated the
seventh centenary of Grosseteste’s death. Of particular interest are two essays in this volume.
One, by Pantin, describes and evaluates Grosseteste’s relations with both pope and king,
detailing many theological and pastoral attitudes Grosseteste exhibited while bishop. The
second, by Smalley, speaks of Grosseteste as a Biblical scholar, and discusses his style, outlook,
3
McEvoy, xiv.
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Terrell DG – Masters Thesis Literature Review
technique, and preferences with regard to analyzing scriptural and pseudo-Biblical works.
Although particular attitudes regarding the thesis are not specifically addressed, one can infer
In 2003, Mackie and Goering edited a collection of essays that discussed several of
Grosseteste’s works. This included an essay by Mackie about the ―Castle of Love‖, a poem
written by Grosseteste said to contain the heart of his theology. The overall volume addresses
aspects of editing Grosseteste’s works and its examination of ―authenticity, chronology, textual
transmission, editorial practice, and contemporary sources and influences‖4 provides essential
information that assists this researcher to arrive at reasonable interpretations and to make
supportable assertions.
To provide a baseline of knowledge about justice and mercy, as 13th century theological
concepts, this researcher intends to utilize several reputable general, intellectual and theological
histories, monographs, and papers, including: Powicke’s The Thirteenth Century; Haskins’ The
Renaissance of the Twelfth Century; Evans’ Philosophy and Theology in the Middle Ages;
Pelikan’s The Growth of Medieval Theology (600-1300); Allison’s Historical Theology; Sadler’s
Mercy and Justice in St. Anselm’s Proslogion; Bretano’s Two churches: England and Italy in the
thirteenth century; and, Mansfield’s The humiliation of sinners: public penance in thirteenth-
century France. Additionally, the works of Thomas Aquinas, particularly the Summa Theologica
and his Commentary on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, will be consulted with an eye to
Reformation Theology
4
Mackie and Goering, dust jacket.
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Terrell DG – Masters Thesis Literature Review
To address the aspect of the thesis pertaining to Grosseteste’s ideas surviving into the
Protestant Reformation, this researcher intends to consult recent histories upon the subject. The
information about general aspects of the period including, changes in the manner clergy and laity
conceived of God as both judge and redeemer. Lahey’s John Wyclif, another biography in
Oxford’s Great Mediaeval Thinkers series provides information about that 14th century proto-
reformer’s attitudes and beliefs. If Wycliffe—who, like Grosseteste, was a critic of the church
who studied at Oxford and was exposed to Grosseteste’s papers—espoused ideas traceable to
Grosseteste, then it may be possible to assert a transmission of ideas from Grosseteste through
Wycliffe into the Protestant Reformation. Ozment’s 1980 work, The Age of Reform (1250-1550),
posits that the reformation was a continuation of some domains of mediaeval thought while it
revolted from others. This researcher intends to appeal to Ozment for discussion and
interpretation of religious thinking and practices between the 13th and the 16th centuries. To
explore the idea that Grosseteste’s ideas survived to be incorporated into the roots of the
Protestant Reformation, this researcher will appeal to Bainton’s 1950 landmark biography and
Thus does this researcher intend to address the thesis requiring the analysis of
Grosseteste’s opinions and attitudes about the Christian concepts of justice and mercy; to
investigate the possible transference of those ideas to later English proto-reformers; and, then
David G Terrell
Herndon, Virginia USA
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Terrell DG – Masters Thesis Literature Review
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