Recovering our memory: Peter Lombard

Name: Peter Lombard
When: c. 1100-1160
Where: Born in northern Italy, later lived in Paris

So What?

While you might be forgiven for thinking of Wayne Grudem as the father of systematic theology, Peter Lombard was around considerably earlier. Lombard was a theologian who studied and taught in Paris. His most influential theological work was his Four Books of Sentences (sentences means “opinions”), a sort of systematic theology. The four books were on:

1. The Trinity and providence
2. Creation, sin and grace
3. The incarnation of Jesus, salvation and moral virtues
4. The sacraments and the end times

The sentences were a collection of teachings on different aspects of Christian doctrine. First, Lombard would state the church’s official teaching, quote relevant passages of Scripture, and then give the opinions of the early church fathers. Finally, he discussed any apparent contradictions, using logic to resolve them. Although little of Lombard’s theology was new, what was novel was the way he marshalled the different arguments together and interacted with them before making a judgement. Sentences became a standard textbook for all students of theology; for instance, John Calvin quoted it over 100 times in his Institutes.

So far, so good. However, it was Lombard who first distinguished there to be seven sacraments for the Catholic Church (baptism, holy communion, confirmation, penance, marriage, ordination and “extreme unction”). Lombard also taught that the sacraments did not merely show God’s grace in a visible sign, but that the actions themselves actually bestowed grace; as long as the recipient wasn’t putting up any internal “barriers” to God, the moral or spiritual standing of the priest or congregant didn’t matter; just going through the motions was enough to automatically get God’s blessing.

Depending on our church background, we might fall into a similar trap; it’s easy to go through the motions of communion without really thinking about what we’re doing; to mumble through the liturgy without engaging with the words in our hearts. Or we might feel extra-holy through the act of taking the bread and wine, rather than being refreshed by the reminder of what it’s pointing us to: God’s grace through the cross.

Good quote: On the nature of the Trinity: “Almost every single syllable of the New Testament points consistently at the ineffable truth of the unity and trinity”.

Interesting fact: Lombard was made Bishop of Paris in 1159, but died only a year later.

Prayer of thanks: Lord, Thank you that you gave us minds to think and study with. Thank you for the generations of men and women, like Peter Lombard, who have longed to know more of you. Help us to show the same commitment to loving you with all of our mind. Help us to too, to always regard your word as the first authority on any matter of theology and teaching, and enable us to interpret it rightly. Amen.