Berengar of Tours c. 999 – 1088
Berengar of Tours (c. 999 – 1088) was a French philosopher of the Medieval era, associated with Medieval Philosophy, Scholasticism, and Christian Philosophy.
Berengar of Tours was a French theologian, philosopher, and grammarian of the eleventh century, master of the cathedral school of Tours, and the principal early-medieval defender of the application of dialectic to theological questions. His controversial treatment of the Eucharist, in which he applied Aristotelian categories to the question of how bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ, prompted a series of councils and the eventual condemnation of his teaching by the Roman synod of 1079. His career stands at the historical point where the Latin West first systematically asked whether reason could probe the inner content of revealed dogma, and his name remained a touchstone of medieval debate over the relations of philosophy and faith.
Key facts
- Nationality
- French
- Era
- Medieval
- Movements
- Medieval Philosophy, Scholasticism, Christian Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Berengar of Tours:
“Reason is the gift of God; to refuse it where it may help us is to refuse God's gift.”
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Attributed to Berengar of Tours:
“Dialectic is not the enemy of the faith; it is the rigorous handmaid of careful belief.”
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Attributed to Berengar of Tours:
“What we cannot articulate clearly, we cannot believe rightly.”
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Attributed to Berengar of Tours:
“He who flees from logic flees also from a part of the truth.”
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Attributed to Berengar of Tours:
“I yield to the authority of the Church, but not to the authority of the unlearned.”
Frequently asked about Berengar of Tours
- When did Berengar of Tours live?
- Berengar of Tours was born in c. 999 and died in 1088.
- Where was Berengar of Tours from?
- Berengar of Tours was a French philosopher of the Medieval era.
- What philosophical movements is Berengar of Tours associated with?
- Berengar of Tours was associated with Medieval Philosophy, Scholasticism, and Christian Philosophy.
- What was Berengar of Tours known for?
- Berengar of Tours was a French theologian, philosopher, and grammarian of the eleventh century, master of the cathedral school of Tours, and the principal early-medieval defender of the application of dialectic to theological questions.
- How many quotes are attributed to Berengar of Tours?
- There are 5 attributed quotations from Berengar of Tours in the 1001Philosophers collection, organized by topic.