God through the desire of love’ supplemented by the definitions: ‘ sursumĭuctiva in Deum, per amorem fervidum et purum’,‘a raising movement in God, Hugh of Balma’s definition of the theologia mystica as ‘ extensioĪnimi in Deum per amoris desiderium’: ‘The extension of the animus in Was finally able to spend his last ten years in Lyon, teaching childrenĬatechetics and embracing the meditative life he had so long yearned for. After many tumultuous years the tired Chancellor It seems that the tradition of the theologia mystica which heĮnabled the troubled Chancellor to find some peace in his life (which heĬommunicated to his students). Trouble reconciling his academic life of the mind with his affective life of Practical Treatise ( Theologia Mystica Practica) given five years later Speculative Treatise ( Theologia Mystica Speculativa ) presented in autumn 1402 and the second Lectures to his Paris students: the first Speculativa, and to this end wrote two treatises on the theologia mystica which both started as During a lifetime of academic research theĬhancellor was particularly concerned with reconciling the affectus and intellectusĪmongst his students, or as he calls it the theologia

As an advocate of ‘conciliar’ policy Gerson is seen as a leadingĮxponent of a non-monarchical view of ecclesiology that stresses the power ofĬouncils to determine Christian doctrine, even over the heads of popes and If he is known at all today Gerson is most oftenĬited as one of the main architects of resolving the split in the medievalĬhurch between two, and later three Popes: the so-called ‘Great Schism’ of 1378 Gallus and Hugh of Balma, of whom we know very little, Gerson’s life is wellĭocumented and accounted for.

Et affectus