Tuesday, November 08, 2005

ON THIS DAY... Tuesday Nov. 8

WE REMEMBER... Duns Scotus



Duns Scotus was born at Duns in the Scottish Borders, became a Franciscan friar and was ultimately ordained as a priest. He studied and taught at Paris, Oxford and Cologne.

Duns Scotus
He attacked the basis of mediaeval theology, based on Aquinas' idea of abstract knowledge, and insisted that we could know truth from what we could see and experience. He further insisted that we could only know God because God has willed it that he should be known. This he saw as leading to a response of obedience and prayer. These insights, and his account of the Trinity, deeply influenced Calvin (through the Scottish scholar John Major) and the Reformation. He died in 1308.

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