Peter Lombard

(c. 1095–1160)

   Bishop and Theologian.

   Peter was born in Lombardy, Italy, and he was educated at Bologna. He was appointed a Canon of the Cathedral of Notre Dame and was consecrated Bishop of Paris in 1159. He is primarily remembered for his Libri Quatuor Sententiarum, generally referred to as the ‘Sentences’ in English. It is divided into four sections covering the Trinity, the creation, the incarnation and the Sacraments. It contains a host of quotations from the early Church Fathers and from Peter’s own contemporaries and it attempts to summarise the Christian doctrines. Although it was attacked as heretical by such authorities as walter of st victor, gilbert de la porrée and joachim of fiore, it was pronounced orthodox in 1215 at the Fourth Lateran Council. Subsequently it became a standard theological text and was studied in universities throughout Europe until the seventeenth century. It was the basis of numerous commentaries and perhaps only the Summa Theologica of thomas aquinas has had such success as an educational manual.

   S.J. Curtis, ‘Peter Lombard, a pioneer in educational methods’, Miscellanea Lombardiana (1957);

   P. Delhaye, Pierre Lombard, Sa Vie, Ses Oeuvres, Sa Morale (1961) [no English translation available].