The Pillars: Jerusalem, Athens, and the Western Mind Medieval Literature IV: Medieval Law and Love
Jun 11, 2025
Legal power struggles between church and state, including investiture conflicts and limits on kings. Charlemagne's revival of learning and the rise of autonomous universities and scholastic thought. The Magna Carta placed in broader medieval legal customs. The passionate correspondence of Peter Abelard and Heloise and how romantic longing was redirected toward devotion and reputation.
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Charlemagne Rebuilt Medieval Learning
- Charlemagne's patronage revived Greco-Roman liberal arts and laid groundwork for medieval universities and scholasticism.
- His promotion of grammar, rhetoric, logic, geometry, astronomy, and music reestablished higher education across western and central Europe.
Anselm Made Theology A Rational Science
- Anselm formalized scholasticism and argued for reason-based theology, notably the ontological proof for God's existence.
- His approach treated theology as a rational discipline and influenced centuries of medieval thinkers.
Investiture Reshaped Church And Crown Power
- The investiture controversy pitted royal appointment against papal authority and expanded church control over clerical investiture.
- Anselm's refusal to accept royal symbols and appeal to Rome exemplified this struggle and helped the papacy prevail.