Skip to content

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

William of Auxerre

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes

A thirteenth-century theologian and professor at the University of Paris . William's name occurs in many of the pontifical documents relating to the University of Paris dating from the first decades of the thirteenth century. From these we learn that he was a magister at the university, that he was archdeacon of Beauvais, and that he was one of the three theologians appointed in 1231 by Gregory IX to prepare an amended edition of the physical and metaphysical works of Aristotle, which had been placed under a ban by the Council of 1210 because of the errors which were contained both in the inaccurate translation, and in the Arabian commentaries accompanying them. Apparently this work of correction was done in Rome ; a letter of Gregory IX to King Louis, dated 6 May, 1231, recommends William of Auxerre to the French King and says that the Parisian teacher has laboured "at the Apostolic See, for the reformation of study". William is the author of a work entitled "Summa Aurea", which is not, as it is sometimes described, a mere compendium of the "Books of Sentences" by Peter the Lombard. Both in method and in content it shows a considerable amount of originality, although, like all the Summæ of the early thirteenth century, it is influenced by the manner and method of the Lombard. The teacher by whom William was most profoundly influenced was Praepositinus, or Prevostin, of Cremona, Chancellor of the University of Paris from 1206 to 1209. The names of teacher and pupil are mentioned in the same sentence by St. Thomas: Haec est opinio Praepositini et Autissiodorensis (in I Sent., XV, q. 11). William was, in turn, the teacher of the Dominican, John of Treviso, one of the first theologians of the Order of Preachers. The importance of the "Summa Aurea" is enhanced by the fact that it was one of the first Summæ composed after the introduction of the metaphysical and physical treatises of Aristotle. The work was published at Paris in 1500. Another edition, without date, by Regnault, is mentioned by Grabmann.

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.