Dear Frans,
Thank you very much for your highly instructive presentation of the topic.
Although I now feel much better informed than before, I still wonder whether
John XXII did know right from the start what kind of discussion he would
declench, and on a matter which, as far as I know, was of little concern for
the actual papal politics (or at least to a much lower degree than, for
instance, the debate on poverty). Does your interpretation, i.e. that the
pope made an effort in dogmatic centralization and unification, want to
imply that it mas a premeditated campaign, and that the topic had been
chosen maybe exactly in reason of its (relative) political neutrality? Or
would you say that the initial motive was rather a personal
theological/spiritual/pastoral concern which only afterwards, when
unexpected resistance was met, did lead to a more organized attempt to
assert papal authority?
Otfried
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otfried Lieberknecht, Schoeneberger Str. 11, D-12163 Berlin
Tel.: ++49 30 8516675 (fax on request), E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Homepage for Dante Studies:
http://members.aol.com/lieberk/welcome.html
ORB Dante Alighieri: A Guide to Online Resources:
http://orb.rhodes.edu/encyclop/culture/lit/Italian/Danindex.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
|