Theological Quodlibeta in the Middle Ages: The Fourteenth Century

This is the second of two volumes on theological quodlibeta, records of special disputations held before Christmas and Easter ca. 1230-1330, mostly at the University of Paris, in which audience members asked the great masters of theology the questions for debate, questions de quolibet, “about anything.” The variety of the material and the authors’ stature make the genre uniquely fascinating.
In Volume II, chapters by acknowledged experts cover the quodlibeta of John Duns Scotus, Peter Auriol, John of Pouilly, Peter of Auvergne, and Thomas Wylton; examine the pertinent writings of the religious orders, including the monks, canons regular, and mendicants; revise our understanding of important manuscripts containing quodlibeta; offer critical editions of significant texts; and demonstrate how these writings are crucial for our knowledge of the history of topics in metaphysics and natural philosophy.
For all those interested in medieval studies, especially intellectual history.

Chris Schabel, PhD (1994), Iowa, teaches at the University of Cyprus. Specializing in intellectual history and the Latin East, he recently published (with A. Nicolaou-Konnari) Cyprus – Society and Culture 1191-1374 (Brill, 2005) and (with R.L. Friedman) Francis of Marchia – Theologian and Philosopher (Brill, 2006).

"...In editing two enormous volumes containing more than twenty-five well-documented contributions on the subject of theological quodlibeta in the Middle Ages, Christopher Schabel has published a wealth of information on a literary genre that, next to the commentaries on the Bible and on the Sentences of Peter Lombard, constitutes a classic of medieval academic literature... Reading the two volumes is not only highly informative and thought-provoking, but also very enjoyable. The editor, the contributors, and the publisher -- the Koninklijke Brill NV at Leiden -- did an extremely good job of creating a beautiful edition... [W]ithout exception, in each and every contribution, they provide up-to-date, first-class scholarship..."
Recherches de Theologie et Philosophie Medievales, 76.2 (2009), pp. 420-426
Maarten J.F.M. Hoenen, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen
"...Avec ce second volume, consecré à la littérature quodlibétique au XIVe siècle, qui complète celui déjà paru en 2008 sur le XIIIe siècle, la jeune et prometteuse collection 'Brill's Companions to the Christian Tradition' met à la disposition des médiévistes et du public intéressé un remarquable et désormais indispensable instrument de travail..."
Revue Thomiste 108.1 (2008), pp. 198b-203b, S.-T. Bonino

"...Brill publishing, editor Christopher Schabel, and an impressive cadre of international experts have produced a major study of this university genre in Theological Quodlibeta in the Middle Ages. Anyone seriously interested in medieval scholastic theology and philosophy, scholastic theologians from the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, the early history of the university, or other related topics will find the work invaluable..."
The Medieval Review, April 2008, M. Crossnoe

"Die umfänglichen Bände sind gerade in ihrer bunten Fülle jeder geistesgeschichtlich interessierten historischen Seminarbibliothek zu empfehlen".
Jürgen Miethke, in Deutsches Archiv für Erforschung des Mittelalters, Bd. 65,1, pp. 252-254.

"Der von Christopher Schabel herausgegebene Sammelband über theologische Quodlibeta stellt ein ausgezeichnetes Werk der sich an der historischen Forschung orientierenden Mediävistik dar. Dem Herausgeber ist es gelungen, eine Gruppe von im jeweiligen Gebiet höchstqualifizierten sowie bestens informierten Forschern für sein Projekt zu gewinnen, die eine der charakteristischsten literarischen Gattungen des Mittelalters – wohl die auffälligste – ausführlich und auf höchstem wissenschaftlichem Niveau bearbeiten."
Andrés Quero-Sánchez, München. In: Archa Verbi, Vol. 7 (2010), pp. 191-195.