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Henry of Ghent
1217-1293
Data published by John Hilary Martin, O.P.,The
Ordination of Women and the Theologians in the Middle Ages, published in
Escritos del Vedat 16 (1986) 87-143, here
pp. 87-90; also in , A History of Women and
Ordination, Volume 1, The Ordination of Women in Medieval Context,
ed. by Bernard Cooke and Gary Macy, the Scarecrow Press, London 2002, pp.
31-160, here pp. 7-8, 79, 133,
163.
Information on the author
Henry of Ghent was a lecturer at Paris from l276. He was involved in
1277 in the celebrated condemnation of 219 suspect propositions by Tempier,
Bishop of Paris, where he acted as a member of the Bishop's advisory
commission. In theology, he is regarded as a member of the Augustinian school
hostile to the inroads being made by Aristotelian ideas at the university.
Indeed, his doctrine of the necessity of Divine illumination is essential for
an understanding of his theology. His elevated notion of the role of the
teacher, or the doctor, in communicating the faith makes what he has to say
about women in this regard of special significance for his thinking.
Latin Text
Selections (paragraph numbering by John Wijngaards)
§ 1. Circa
secundum arguitur quod mulier possit ease doctor huius scientiae. Primo sic:
Prov. 4 , 'Unigenitus fui coram matre mea et docebat me'. Id autem quod docebat
erat huius scientiae, ut patet ibidem; ergo, etc. Secundo sic: non est minori
gratiae prophetare quam docere; immo et prophetarm et docere publice ea quae
eis revelantur, I ad Co. 14 (12). Qui prophetat hominibus loquitur ad
aedificationem; mulieribs concessum est prophetare, hominibs loquitur ad
aedificationem; mulieribus concessm est prophetare, ut Mariae sorori Moysi,
Ex.14; Debborae, Judic. 4; Oldae IV Reg. 22; Annae Luc. 1, etc. Contra est
illud Apostoli, I Tim., 2, 'Docere mulierem non permitto'"
Summae
Quaestionum Ordinarium Theologi recepto praeconio Solemnis Henrici a
Gandavo
[Ascensi, (1520), a 11, q. 2, I: 77b.
"Concerning the second point, it is argued that a woman is able to be
a teacher of this wisdom. First, as Prov 4:[3] says 'I was the only begotten
before my mother and she taught me.' In fact that which was taught was this
wisdom as is clear in this case, etc. Secondly as follows: it is not a lesser
grace to prophesy than to teach, indeed to prophesy is to teach publicly those
things that have been revealed to one, 1 Cor 14[12]. Whoever prophesied, spoke
to humans for their edification, and women were allowed to prophesy, as were
Mariam, sister of Moses, Exod 14 [15:20]; Deborah, Judg [4:4];
Huldah 4 Kings 22 (2 Kings 22:14]; Anna Luke [2:36] etc. Against
this is that statement of the Apostle, 1 Tim 2:12, 'I do not permit a woman to
teach'."
a. 11, q. 2 (Summae Quaestionum Ordinarium Theologi recepto
praeconio Solemnis Henrici a Gandavo... (In aedibus 1. Badii Ascensii,
1520; reprinted Franciscan Institute: St. Bonaventure. N.Y., 1953) 2 v.
1:77b).
§ 2. Ut ait
aliquis possit docere ex officio quatuor in eo requiruntur, duo respectu
doctrinae, et duo respectu illorum quibus dispensanda est doctrina. Primum est
docendi constantia, ne de facile a veritate cognita doctor se divertat.
Secundum est exequendi efficacia, ne per infirmitatem ab opere desistat.
Tertium est docentis auctoritas, ut auditores sibi credendo obedient. Quartum
est sermonis vivacitas, ut p[v?]itia corrodendo ad virtutes impellat
.
Quoniam ergo ad ista[m] quaestionem dicendum, quod contraria his quatuor
inveniuntur in mulieribus, popter quod mulier est ex officio docere non potest;
et ideo nec doctor esse huius scientiae.
De primis duobus dicit Glossa, Lluc., ulti.Quia constantia
praedicandi non habet infirmior sexus; et ad exequendum infirmior est mandatur
viris officium evangelizandi. Mulier vero praedicandi seu docendi constantiam
non habet de facili a veritate seducitur; et ideo postquam dixit Apostolus, I
Tim. 2, 'Docere mulierem non permitto'; post modicum subiunxit quasi pro causa,
'Adam non est seductus, mulier autem seducta in praevaricatione fuit'. Mulier
secundo exequendi officium doctoris non habet efficaciam, quia sexus
fragilitatem patitur, qui non sufficit in publico discurrere et laborare. Et
ideo ibidem etiam cum dixisset, 'Docere mulierem non permitto': etiam addidit,
'Sed esse in silentio'. Mulier tertio doctoris auctoritatem habere non potest
propter sexus conditionem qui non habet exequendi libertatem; quia sub alterius
debet esse potestate, Gen 3, 'Sub potestate viri eris et ipse dominabitur tui'.
Et ideo mulieri officium docendi inhibuisset dicendo, 'Docere mulierem non
permitto' immediate adiunxit, 'Neque dominari in virum' . . . . Mulier quarto
vivacitatem sermonis non habet in mortificandum, sed magis provocandum peccata;
et ideo super illud, 'Docere mulierem non permitto', dicit Glossa, 'Si
enim loquitur magis incitat ad luxuriam et irritatur'; et ideo diciture
Ecclesiastici, 9, 'Colloquium illius quasi ignis exardescit'.
Glossa, In corda auditorum.
ed cit., I:
77b-78a.
"lt is said that in order for someone to be able to teach ex officio,
four things are required of him or her; two in respect to doctrine and two in
respect of those things by which doctrine is dispensed. First is constancy of
teaching, lest a teacher too easily be distracted from the known truth. Second
is efficacy of performance, lest he or she cease from working because of
weakness. Third is the authority of the teacher, so that the hearers obey,
believing hìm or her. The fourth is vivacity of words, so that
undermining vices he or she urges on to the virtues. Therefore as far as this
question is concerned it is said that the opposite of these four things is
found in women because of which a woman is not able to teach ex officio; and
therefore neither is she able to be a teacher of this wisdom.
Concerning
the first of two points, the end of the Gloss on Luke says: 'because the
inferior sex does not have constancy of preaching; and is more infirm as to
performance'. The office of evangelizing is entrusted to males. A woman truly
does not have the constancy for preaching and teaching and is easily seduced
from the truth; and therefore after the Apostle in 1 Tim 2 said, 'I do not
permit a woman to teach,' after a bit he added in some sense for the reason for
it, 'Adam was not seduced: a woman was seduced and was in transgress.'
Secondly, a woman does not have efficacy in performing the office of teaching.
because the sex suffers frailty such that (her efficacy] is not sufficient to
discuss and work in public. And therefore in the same place when he had said;
'I do not permit a woman to teach', he added besides, 'but want her to be
silent.' Thirdly, a woman is not abe to have the authority of teaching on
account of the condition of the sex which does not have freedom of performance
since she ought to be under the power of another [according to] Gen 3: 'You
will be under the power of a male and he will rule you'. And therefore the
office of teaching is forbidden to women. After saying 'I do not permit a woman
to teach,' immediately he added, 'nor to rule over a male . . .' Fourthly, a
woman does not have the vivacity of words leading to mortification, but more
provoking to sin; and therefore on that passage, 'I do not permit a woman to
teach', the Gloss says, 'if, in fact, she speaks, she incites more to
wantonness and is enflamed; and therefore ít is said in
Ecclesiaticus 9 (Sir 9' 1 I ) 'Conversation with them inflames like
fire'. Glossa, 'In corda auditorum."
Ibid, I:77b-78a.
§ 3. Loquendo
autem de docere ex beneficio et charitatis fervore, bene licet mulierem docere,
sicut et quemlibet alium si sanam doctrinam habeat; et hoc privatim et in
silentio, et non in publico et in facie ecclesiae.
Dicendum ad hoc: quod ista quaestio et sequentes differunt a
praecedenti. Illa enim quaesivit de potentia absoluta facti, cuius est posse
docere, an solius Dei, an quodammodo hominis et angeli. Istae vero quaestiones
quaerunt de potentia iuris et auctoritatis, an scilicet status quarundam
personarum permittat quod officium doctoris habeant. Respondendum igitur ad
istas quaestiones quantum ad potentiam docendi non de facto, sed de iuris
permissione. Planum est enim quod de facto quaelibet homines scientes sive vir
sive mulier, sive senex sive iuvenis, sive religiosus sive secularis, sive
clericus sive laicus potest docere qui novit. Dicendum igitur ad istam
propositam quaestionem et consimiliter ad alias quod docere potest aliquis vel
ex officio vel ex beneficio.
ed cit., I: 78a.
"Furthermore, when it is question of teaching for the support and
promotion of charity, surely it is suitable for a woman to teach, as it would
be for anyone who had sound knowledge; but then privately and in silence,
neither in public or in front of the church [community].
I have to say to
this this question and the following ones that they differ from the preceding
one. Indeed that question asked about the absolute power of doing something,
who it is who has the ability to teach, whether God alone: or in some way
humans or angels. Truly these questions ask about the power of the law and
authority; whether, of course, that status of particular people allows that
they have the office of a teacher. Accordingly, it is answered in these
questions in regard to the power of teaching not de facto; but by permission of
the law.
It is certainty clear that de facto any wise human whether
male or female, whether old or young, whether religious or secular, whether
cleric or lay, whoever has knowledge is able to teach. Therefore it must be
said to this proposed question and similarly to others that a person may teach
either ex officio or by charism".
Ibid. I :78a.
§ 4.Dicendum
quod prophetia data est mulieribus non ad publicam instructionem, sed privatam,
et si ut per eam viros doceat, hoc est ex tratia speciali, quae non respicit
sexum distinctionem, secundum quod dicitur, Col. 3 'Induite novum hominem qui
renovatur secundum imaginem eius qui creavit illum ubi non est masculus neque
foemina. Viris autem data est ad publicam instructionem
.' tali enim
gratia concessum est mulieribus publice prophetare in Vet. Test. in virorum
contumeliam, quia est effoeminati facti erunt, sicut et foeminis concessum
publica regimina super viros genere; et similiter in primitiva Ecclesia propter
messis multitudinem et metentium paucitatem concessum est mulieribus Marthae et
Mariae publice praedicare et Philippi filiabus publice prophetare, secundum
quod habetur Act 21.
"It must be said that prophecy was given to women not for public but
private instruction, and if through it she taught males, this was a special
grace that does not consider the distinction of sex, according to what
ís saìd in Col 3 [:10]: 'Put on a new human who is renewed
according to his image who created him where there is neither male nor female.
To the male, however, is given public instruction '...
Grace was granted to
such women publicly to prophesy in the Old Testament as a reproach to males
because they had become effeminate not unlike public rule over men was allowed
to women; and similarly in the early church it was allowed to the women, Mary
and Martha, to publicly preach and to the daughters of Philip to publicly
prophesy because of the multitude of the harvest and the shortage of labourers.
according to Acts 21 [:9]."
Ibid.
edited by John Wijngaards
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