The Examined Report of the Paris Lecture by John Duns Scotus ISBN 9781576591895, 1576591891 instant download

The Examined Report of the Paris Lecture by John Duns Scotus ISBN 9781576591895, 1576591891 instant download

The Examined Report of the Paris Lecture is one of the most important works of the medieval Franciscan philosopher and theologian John Duns Scotus. It represents a revised and polished version of his Lectura—the record of his teaching on Peter Lombard’s Sentences—prepared during his time at the University of Paris, the leading intellectual center of the early 14th century. In this text, Scotus systematically addresses the great theological and philosophical questions of his age, combining rigorous logic with profound spiritual insight.

The work is divided into a careful sequence of questions and arguments, in the scholastic style, treating topics such as the nature of being (ens) and its divisions, the existence and attributes of God, the Trinity, creation, the relationship between divine foreknowledge and human freedom, the nature of grace and merit, the Incarnation, and the sacraments. It is in this context that Scotus develops some of his most famous contributions, including his defense of the univocity of being, the formal distinction, and his original arguments for the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

The Examined Report is not only a theological treatise but also a sophisticated exercise in philosophical reasoning, marked by Scotus’s precision in defining terms, analyzing objections, and formulating nuanced distinctions. It provides invaluable insight into his intellectual development, standing as a bridge between his earlier Oxford writings and his later, more extensive Ordinatio. This edition, translated and published by the Franciscan Institute of St. Bonaventure, makes available to modern readers a faithful English rendering of a cornerstone of Scotus’s thought, essential for the study of medieval theology and philosophy.