HUGOLINO OF ORVIETO

Augustinian friar and important representative of the Augustinian School; b. sometime after 1300, Orvieto, Italy; d. 1373, Aquapendente. Mentioned for the first time in 1334, he studied in Paris from 1335 to 1338. In 1347–1348 he gave his lectures on the Sentences in Paris and in 1352 was promoted to Master of Theology. He taught from 1357 to 1360 as head of his Order's house of studies in Perugia. From 1360 on he taught in Bologna as a member of the theological faculty for which he wrote statutes. His ecclesiastical career began in 1368 with his election as prior general of the Augustinians. In 1370 he was consecrated bishop of Gallipoli in the Dardanelles. On Oct. 2, 1371 Pope Gregory XI named him Latin Patriarch of Constantinople and administrator of the diocese of Rimini.

Hugolino was a clear and sharp thinker who oriented his teachings on the Augustinian theology of grace, following closely both St. augustine and gregory of rimini. He drew only seldom on the work of Aristotle. The main idea of his theology is the living God (deus vita). His sacramental theology is based on his Christology. Foundations of his thought include the Augustinian doctrine of illumination, theological enlightenment (lumen theologicum), and the necessity of grace for every morally good act. He fought against Joachimite errors (Joachim of Fiore) regarding the doctrine of the Trinity. He was open to contemporary language theory, but tried to find his own way between realism and conceptualism. His Commentary on the Sentences exerted a decisive influence on the theological development of the late Middle Ages, and served as a foundation and preparation for other Commentaries on the Sentences, notably those of Konrad von Ebrach, Dionysius of Moden and Simon of Cremona. His work was used extensively by Johnnes Hiltalingen of Basel, Angelus of Dobeln, Johannes Zachariae and Augustinus Favaroni of Rome. His Commentaries continued to be influential at the universities of Paris, Bologna, and Vienna.

Bibliography: Works. w. eckermann, ed., Hugolini de Urbe Veteri OESA Commentarius in quatuor libros Sentnetiarum, 4 vols. (Wurzburg 1980–88); Zwei neuentdeckte theologishce Principien Hugolins von Orvieto: Schwerpenkte und Wirkungen (Wurzburg 1990), 43–83; Der Physikkommentar Hugolins von Orvieto OESA: Ein Beitrag zur Erkenntnislehre des spatmittelalterlichen Augustinismus (partial edition) (Berlin and New York 1972). Literature. v. marcolino, "Die Wirkung der Theologie Hugolins von Orvieto im Spatmittelalter," Analecta Augustiniana 56 (1993) 5–124. w. eckermann and b. u. hucker, eds., Hugolin von Orvieto, ein spatmittelalterlicher Augustinertheologe in seiner Zeit (Cloppenburg 1992). w. eckermann, ed., Schwerpuntte und Wirkungen des Sentenzenkommentars Hugolins von Orvieto OESA (Wurzburg 1990).

[w. eckermann]