Franciscan Studies

86FRANCISCAN STUDIES the text closely resemble those of the "Union Académique Internationale" as published at Brussels in 1938. Prof. Delhaye is to be congratulated for his edition as well as for his scholarly introduction; both of these are models in their field. E. M. Buytaert, O. F. M. Lottin, Odon, O.S.B., Psychologie et Morale aux XIIe et XIII" siècles, Tome IV: Problèmes de Morale, Troisième Partie, vol. I—II, LouvainGembloux , 1954; 944 pp. These two volumes conclude the great work of Dom Lottin on Psychology and Moral Theology in the Twelfth and Thirteenth Centuries. The topics treated are: the theories on original sin from Saint Anselm to Thomas Aquinas; original sin and baptism according to the authors of this period; moral intention from Abelard to Thomas Aquinas; "finis operantis" in the doctrine of Saint Thomas; Thomas Aquinas and the Faculty of Arts of Paris at the end of the Thirteenth Century; the connection of acquired moral virtues from Saint Thomas to Duns Scotus; the gifts of the Holy Ghost from Thomas Aquinas to Peter Aureoli; infused moral virtues at the beginning of the Fourteenth Century. Then follow some short "addenda" to the preceding volumes (pp. 809—814), an epilog (pp. 815—828), and indexes covering all the volumes of the work (pp. 829:—944). In the body of the latest volumes (pp. 9—807), the method adopted in the preceding volumes is still followed: carefull analysis and interpretation of the medieval writings; research in the source-dependency of and relationship between the different works; edition of pertinent but still unpublished texts. This method is excellent, and has met with great success. No detraction of Dom Lottin's merits implied, one must still realize that the text-editions of the great scholar, in many cases, are not fully critical as they are based only on one or two manuscripts and are without full critical apparatus. One might expect that future critical editions will contradict Lottin's findings in certain details. Still students interested in medieval Scholasticism and theologians in general can only be grateful that somuch unpublished material has been brought to light. A novelty of this fourth and last tome is that the authors of the last part of the Thirteenth Century, from Saint Thomas onwards and some of the first part of the Fourteenth Century have been studied. One must note, however, that the analysis of this period does not have, it seems, the exhaustiveness of the preceding parts of the masterful work, with the possible exception of the study on Scotus. Important is the epilog. It is not conceived really as a general conclusion of the work, but delivers some interesting observations based upon its findings. Dom Lottin, though he studied more extensively the writings of Thomas Aquinas, is most fair in pointing out the relative value of the different authors and schools of the period. The tremendous progress made by Moral Theology at that time is laid bare and is not explained as a reaction against heresies Book Reviews87 or the result of ecclesiastical intervention. For as a matter of fact, there were only two official decisions in the field, and apparently, they had no influence on theological progress. Lottin finds the explanation in the fact that the Franciscan and Dominican Orders produced a number of exceptional thinkers and that the current Moral Theology had an extraordinary vitality springing from itself. Among the newest additions to Moral Theology, Lottin mentions the tracts on synderesis and on conscience. The greatest methodogical deficiencies of that time, according to the epilog of Lottin, were 1. the univocal use of a number of fundamental terms, such as virtue, law, and sin; by implication, this means that the authors proceded a priori, instead of going out from the facts; 2. Moral Theology, especially that of the Twelfth Century does not take into account, at least not adequately, the findings of related disciplines, such as Ethics and Canon Law; as a consequence , the philosophical precisions of theological problems made by the school of Gilbert Porreta did not obtain their deserved influence on theology; 3. excessive use of paralellism and symmetry, disregarding in a number of cases statements...