Manegold of Lautenbach
Encyclopedia
Manegold of Lautenbach was a religious and polemical writer and Augustinian canon from Alsace
, active mostly as a teacher in south-west Germany. William of Champeaux
may have been one of his pupils, but this is disputed. He was one of the first magisters, recognised masters of theology.
, taking the papal side in the era of the Investiture Controversy
. He also attacked Wolfhelm of Brauweiler
.
Towards the end of his life (1094) he was a reformer at the religious community at Marbach
.
, held at the pleasure of the employer. This work, dedicated to Gebhard, archbishop of Salzburg
, was intended to refute a polemic letter of Wenrich on behalf of Emperor Henry IV, written c.1080-1. A strong supporter of Pope Gregory VII
, and the Gregorian revolutionary reforms
, Manegold shared with others of his time the view in political thought that secular rulers held their power on the basis of some kind of pact
with the ruled. Further, when the pact could be considered broken, the oath of allegiance could be considered null, a theory of resistance adapted to aristocratic arguments that had not long previously been topical in Saxony
; this theory had been documented in the 1082 Bellum Saxonicum of Bruno of Merseburg. The argument that in the past bad kings had frequently been deposed, typically with papal involvement, derived from a papal letter of 1075 to Hermann, bishop of Metz.
Manegold's book also contained an account of the life of Gregory VII, reflecting the Vita by John the Deacon of Gregory the Great; this shares details with chronicles of Berthold of Reichenau
and Bernold of St Blasien, writing in the part of southern Germany in which Manegold had sheltered after having to leave Alsace. Manegold's sources included St Paul, Jerome
, Peter Damian
and Bernold; also Pseudo-Chrysostom's Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum
, for the way the 'pact' theory was expressed. Along with others arguing from the same side, he used arguments from Cyprian
, De unitate ecclesiae, in a version (of the fourth chapter) supporting papal primacy.
He opposed the uncritical acceptance by Christians of the views of pagan classical writers. He was a critic of Macrobius, singling out for attack in geography the spherical earth
theory of four isolated continents of Crates of Mallus
, on theological grounds.
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
, active mostly as a teacher in south-west Germany. William of Champeaux
William of Champeaux
Guillaume de Champeaux , also known as William of Champeaux or Guglielmus de Campellis , was a French philosopher and theologian.He was born at Champeaux near Melun...
may have been one of his pupils, but this is disputed. He was one of the first magisters, recognised masters of theology.
Life
He engaged in a controversy with Wenrich of TrierWenrich of Trier
-Biography:He was a canon at Verdun, and afterwards scholasticus at Trier.Sigebert of Gembloux calls him also Bishop of Vercelli, but the early documents of the diocese leave no place for him in the list of bishops.-Work:...
, taking the papal side in the era of the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
. He also attacked Wolfhelm of Brauweiler
Wolfhelm of Brauweiler
Wolfhelm of Brauweiler was the Benedictine abbot of Brauweiler Abbey, near Cologne, Germany.He was attacked by Manegold of Lautenbach, in his Liber Contra Wolfelmum...
.
Towards the end of his life (1094) he was a reformer at the religious community at Marbach
Marbach
Marbach may refer to: Places in Germany*the town Marbach am Neckar, district Ludwigsburg, Baden-Württemberg*Part of Erbach in Hessen*Part of Gomadingen, Baden-Württemberg...
.
Writings
His Ad Gebehardum liber of 1085 was a comprehensive discussion of kingship, original and much commented on, and clarifying some of the political arguments most centrally used by the papal supporters; it argued that kingship was an office from which the king could be deposed; his functionalist analogy was with the position of swineherdSwineherd
A swineherd is a person who looks after pigs. The term has fallen out of popular use in favour of pig farmer.-Swineherds in literature:* Hans Christian Andersen wrote a Fairy tale called, "The Swineherd"....
, held at the pleasure of the employer. This work, dedicated to Gebhard, archbishop of Salzburg
Gebhard of Salzburg
Blessed Gebhard of Salzburg , also occasionally known as Gebhard of Helfenstein, was Archbishop of Salzburg from 1060 until his death. He was one of the fiercest opponents of King Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy....
, was intended to refute a polemic letter of Wenrich on behalf of Emperor Henry IV, written c.1080-1. A strong supporter of Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
, and the Gregorian revolutionary reforms
Gregorian Reform
The Gregorian Reforms were a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the circle he formed in the papal curia, circa 1050–80, which dealt with the moral integrity and independence of the clergy...
, Manegold shared with others of his time the view in political thought that secular rulers held their power on the basis of some kind of pact
Pact
A pact is a formal agreement.Pact, The Pact or PACT may also refer to:-PACT as an acronym:* Protein ACTivator of the interferon-induced protein kinase, a protein that activates protein kinase R...
with the ruled. Further, when the pact could be considered broken, the oath of allegiance could be considered null, a theory of resistance adapted to aristocratic arguments that had not long previously been topical in Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
; this theory had been documented in the 1082 Bellum Saxonicum of Bruno of Merseburg. The argument that in the past bad kings had frequently been deposed, typically with papal involvement, derived from a papal letter of 1075 to Hermann, bishop of Metz.
Manegold's book also contained an account of the life of Gregory VII, reflecting the Vita by John the Deacon of Gregory the Great; this shares details with chronicles of Berthold of Reichenau
Berthold of Reichenau
Berthold of Reichenau was a Benedictine monk and chronicler of Reichenau Abbey.-Life:He was a disciple and friend of the Hermannus Contractus...
and Bernold of St Blasien, writing in the part of southern Germany in which Manegold had sheltered after having to leave Alsace. Manegold's sources included St Paul, Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
, Peter Damian
Peter Damian
Saint Peter Damian, O.S.B. was a reforming monk in the circle of Pope Gregory VII and a cardinal. In 1823, he was declared a Doctor of the Church...
and Bernold; also Pseudo-Chrysostom's Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum
Opus Imperfectum
Opus Imperfectum in Matthaeum is an early Christian commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, written sometime in the 5th century. Its name is derived from the fact that it is incomplete, omitting a number of passages from Matthew....
, for the way the 'pact' theory was expressed. Along with others arguing from the same side, he used arguments from Cyprian
Cyprian
Cyprian was bishop of Carthage and an important Early Christian writer, many of whose Latin works are extant. He was born around the beginning of the 3rd century in North Africa, perhaps at Carthage, where he received a classical education...
, De unitate ecclesiae, in a version (of the fourth chapter) supporting papal primacy.
He opposed the uncritical acceptance by Christians of the views of pagan classical writers. He was a critic of Macrobius, singling out for attack in geography the spherical earth
Spherical Earth
The concept of a spherical Earth dates back to ancient Greek philosophy from around the 6th century BC, but remained a matter of philosophical speculation until the 3rd century BC when Hellenistic astronomy established the spherical shape of the earth as a physical given...
theory of four isolated continents of Crates of Mallus
Crates of Mallus
Crates, of Mallus in Cilicia , was a Greek language grammarian and Stoic philosopher of the 2nd century BC, leader of the literary school and head of the library of Pergamum. His chief work was a critical and exegetical commentary on Homer...
, on theological grounds.
Works
- Ad Gebehardum liber
- Ad Wibaldum Abbatem
- De psalmorum libro exegesis
- Contra Wolfelmum Coloniensem, translated into English as: Manegold of Lautenbach, Liber contra Wolfelmum. Translated with an Introduction and Notes by Robert Ziomkowski (Dallas Medieval Texts and TranslationsDallas Medieval Texts and TranslationsDallas Medieval Texts and Translations is a book series sponsored by the and published by , a publishing house based in Louvain, Belgium. Modeled upon the Loeb Classical Library, the Dallas series has the goal "to build a library of medieval Latin texts, with English translations, from the period...
1). Louvain/Paris: Peeters, 2002. ISBN 978-90-429-1192-5.