Historical Background of Peter Lombard and the Sentences

Peter Lombard:

Peter Lombard, the author of the Sentences, lived from about 1100 to 1160. Lombard was born in Novara in northern Italy and then studied either at Balogna or Rheims before moving to Paris to complete his studies. The date of Lombard’s arrival in Paris is unknown, but by 1145, he had attained the prestigious position of canon of Notre-Dame, a position almost exclusively held in the 12^th century by those with blood ties to the Capetian ruling dynasty of France. The height of success for Lombard was becoming the Archbishop of Paris in 1159.[1]

Fun Legend:

Since little documentation remains about his early life, apocryphal literature claimed that Peter Lombard was one of three triplets along with two of Lombard’s famous contemporaries: Peter Comestor and Gratian. Some authors even claimed that the triplets were the result of an adulterous and sacrilegious union between the mother and a clergyman. The legend has been shown to be fabricated.[2]

Sentences:

The Sentences was written by Peter Lombard near the end of his life over the years 1155 to 1158. In the Sentences, Peter Lombard sought to bring together the diverse and often contradictory theological opinions of the authoritative Early Church Fathers and of recent scholars along with relevant Biblical references. The Sentences discusses four main topics: the Trinity, Creation, the Incarnation, and the Sacraments. Peter Lombard’s Sentences was so insightful and well organized that it eventually became the standard theological textbook of universities across Europe until the 16^th century; it often even replaced the Bible![3]