Gilbert De La Porree

Gilbert de la Porree (Gislebertus Porretanus), a Scholastic theologian and follower of Abelard, was born at Poitiers in 1070. He studied philosophy under Bernard of Chartres, and theology under Anselm and Radulfus of Laon. He began to lecture at Chartres, and both there and at Paris achieved great distinction as a profound logician and an original teacher. In 1142 he was made bishop of Poitiers, but did not give up his metaphysical pursuits. He treated theology more as a metaphysician than as a divine, making more use of Aristotle than of Scripture or of the fathers. His style was very obscure. He was a thorough Realist in philosophy. For his theories with regard to the divine nature he was accused at the Council of Rheims in 1148, where Bernard of Clairvaux headed the prosecution against him. The charges: were founded on the following propositions of Gilbert:

1. That the divine nature, the substance of God, is not God.

2. The properties of the divine persons are not the persons themselves; and the persons of the Trinity are one only in virtue of their divinity.

3. It was not the divine nature, but only the person of the Word, that became incarnate.

4. There is no merit possible but the merit of Christ. Gilbert was condemned,: though some of the cardinals voted with him. He submitted to the decision of the council, and remained afterwards unmolested in his diocese. He died in 1154. Gilbert wrote many books, part of which are yet in MS. Affaong those printed are Commentarius. in quatuor libros de Trinitate of Boethius, published in Boethii Opera (Bale, 1570, fol.): — Liber sex Principiorum, pub. in Hermolaus Barbarus' edition of Aristotle. See Haureau, Philosophie Scolastique, 1:296 sq.; Cousin, Introd. aux Ouvrages inedits d'Abeilard; Baur, Dreietaigkeit, 2:509 sq.; Neander, Ch. History, 4:410, .461; Neander, History of Dogmas, pages 489, 497; Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generale, 20:484.