- Richard of Saint Victor
Richard of Saint Victor (died 1173), was one of the most important mystical theologicans of 12th century
Paris , then the intellectual center ofEurope . Richard, a Scot, wasprior of the famous Augustinianabbey of Saint-Victor in Paris from 1162 until his death in 1173.Richard was a student of the great German mystic
Hugo of St. Victor , whose principles and methods he adopted and developed. His most important work, "De Trinitate" ("On the Trinity") contains his best-known philosophical work in which he stressed that it was possible to reach the essentials of the doctrine of theTrinity by the process of speculative reasoning. Richard had great influence onBonaventure and theFranciscan mystics. His writings on mystical contemplation earned for him the title "Magnus Contemplator", the great contemplator.In
Dante 's Paradise ("Paradiso"' X.130), he is mentioned among theologians and doctors of the church alongsideIsidore of Seville and the EnglishmanBede (the latter is the only other Briton in Dante's Paradise).References
* "The Catholic Encyclopedia", "Volume XIII": [http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13045c.htm "Richard of St. Victor"] , Robert Appleton Company, (1912).
* Schaff, Philip, "History of the Christian Church, Volume V: The Middle Ages A.D. 1049–1249", Hendrickson Publishers; 3rd edition (July 1, 1996) ISBN 1-56563-196-X. [http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/hcc5.ii.xiv.xi.html?bcb=0]
* Richard of St. Victor, Richard of St. Victor: The Twelve Patriarchs, The Mystical Ark, Book Three of the Trinity; Classics of Western Spirituality Series, New York, Paulist Press, 1979. Translated and introduced by Grover Zinn.
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