WALTER OF SAINT-VICTOR

Prior of the Parisian Abbey of Saint-Victor between 1173 and his death c. 1190. Some 30 of his sermons have been preserved, eloquent witnesses to his lack of intellectual breadth and originality. He confined himself to copying, rather artlessly at that, texts preserved in the abbeys library, especially those of richard of saint-victor, whom he succeeded as prior. Shortly after taking office, Walter began to take public part in contemporary theological controversies. He attacked the Christological teaching of peter lombard, making heavy use of an anonymous work, the Apologia pro Verbo lncarnato. This first attempt was later inserted in an extended expos of heresies and their refutation entitled Contra quattuor labyrinthos Franciae. Within the four labyrinths, in Walters view, lie hidden the four minotaurs who seek to devour the Christian faith: Peter Lombard, abelard peter of poitiers, and gilbert de la porree. One is forced to recognize, along with P. Glorieux, the worthless character of this treatise. Under the pretext of defending orthodoxy, Walter gave it regrettable service. In the belief that he was attacking rationalism, which was then called dialectics, he did in fact attack reason itself, along with its legitimate activity.

See Also: dialectics in the middle ages.

Bibliography: p. glorieux, ed., Le Contra quattuor labyrinthos Franciae de Gauthier de Saint-Victor, Archives d'histoire doctrinale et littéraire du moyan-âge (Paris 1926–) 27 187–335; Mauvaise action et mauvais travail. Le Contra, Recherches de théologie ancienne et médiévale (Louvaine 1929–) 21 179–193. r. studeny, W. of S. V. and the Apologia de Verbo Incarnato, Gregorianum (Rome 1920–) 18 579–585.

[p. michaud-quantin]