Much of the twentieth century's best work on the Irish thinker Eriugena was written in French by scholars such as Maïeul Cappuyns and Édouard Jeauneau. It was surprising, therefore, that Eriugena's masterwork, the Periphyseon, had never been translated into French, even though several English translations and a Spanish version have been available for years. Francis Bertin has in two volumes now supplied an excellent French translation of the first three books of the Periphyseon. In addition, the first volume contains (...) a general introduction and bibliography to Eriugenian studies, and each of the three books is preceded by a thoughtful general analysis and followed by a commentary that includes an identification of sources, cross-references, and a review of specific issues. (shrink)

This book deals with Johannes Scottus Eriugena, an Irish scholar at the Court of Charles the Bald in France in the second half of the ninth century - to be clearly distinguished from John Duns Scotus (1264-1308), after whom `Scotist' philosophy is named. -/- Eriugena's main work, Periphyseon (de divisione naturae), is a remarkable attempt at a real intellectual synthesis between the Bible and Neoplatonist philosophy. It was not looked upon with great favour in the West except by the mystics (...) and, more recently, by German Idealist philosophers of the last century. Now, however, because of the growth of interest in Medieval Studies, there is an increasing curiosity about Eriugena and his work - but there has been no comprehensive book about him since that of M. Cappuyns in 1933. -/- Bringing together the results of the most recent research on Eriugena, this book discusses his background in Ireland and life in France, and of his career as teacher, controversialist, translator, and poet. It gives an extended and careful summary of the Periphyseon, and the first translation into English of the brief Homily on the Prologue to St.John's Gospel. (shrink)

This book deals with Johannes Scottus Eriugena, an Irish scholar at the Court of Charles the Bald in France in the second half of the ninth century - to be clearly distinguished from John Duns Scotus, after whom `Scotist' philosophy is named. Eriugena's main work, Periphyseon, is a remarkable attempt at a real intellectual synthesis between the Bible and Neoplatonist philosophy. It was not looked upon with great favour in the West except by the mystics and, more recently, by German (...) Idealist philosophers of the last century. Now, however, because of the growth of interest in Medieval Studies, there is an increasing curiosity about Eriugena and his work - but there has been no comprehensive book about him since that of M. Cappuyns in 1933. Bringing together the results of the most recent research on Eriugena, this book discusses his background in Ireland and life in France, and of his career as teacher, controversialist, translator, and poet. It gives an extended and careful summary of the Periphyseon, and the first translation into English of the brief Homily on the Prologue to St.John's Gospel. (shrink)