Hugh of St. Victor
Hugh of St. Victor was a prominent theologian, philosopher, and mystic born around 1096 in Hartingham, Saxony. After receiving his early education in monasteries, he joined the Canons Regular of St. Augustine and eventually moved to the influential monastery of St. Victor in Paris in 1115, where he spent the rest of his life. By 1133, Hugh became head of the School of St. Victor, which gained a reputation for its intellectual rigor under his leadership. His extensive writings cover a range of topics, significantly contributing to the development of Scholastic theology, particularly through his teachings on the sacraments, which helped define their meaning in academic settings.
Hugh placed great importance on philosophy, advocating for its role in education and delineating a new four-part division of the discipline. He is also recognized as a mystic, teaching that knowledge and reason lead individuals closer to God through the processes of cogitation, meditation, and contemplation. His thoughts on mysticism became foundational for the religious thought of the second half of the twelfth century. Despite some debate over the authorship of certain works attributed to him, Hugh's impact on philosophy and theology solidifies his status as a key figure of the twelfth century.
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Hugh of St. Victor
Theologian
- Born: c. 1096
- Birthplace: Hartingham, Saxony
- Died: February or March 11, 1141
Biography
Hugh of St. Victor was born around 1096 in Hartingham in Saxony. His father was Conrad, count of Blankenburg, and his uncle Reinhardt was bishop of Halderstadt. Hugh was educated in the monastery of St Pancras at Hamerleve and in the house of the Canon Regulars at Hamersleben. Although his parents were opposed to his action, Hugh began a novitiate with the Canons Regular of St. Augustine at Hambersleben, but there was so much unrest in the region that following the advice of his uncle, he went to the monastery of St. Victor in Paris before completing his novitiate.
Hugh entered St. Victor in 1115 and stayed there for the remainder of his life, studying, teaching and writing. He became a canon and in 1133 became head of the School of St. Victor. Under his direction, the school became renowned for its brilliance. He may have been promoted to the position of prior before his death on February or March 11, 1141.
Hugh was a theologian, a philosopher, and a mystic; consequently, his voluminous body of work treats the entire gamut of thought and sacred science taught in the schools during his time. He also was a highly gifted lecturer. His lectures and teachings contributed enormously to Scholastic theology, and he can be considered instrumental to the development of Scholasticism. His writings and teaching about the sacraments laid the foundation for the definitive meaning of a sacrament, and this definition was adopted and taught in the schools.
Hugh believed that philosophy, which he defined as all of the knowledge obtained by man’s reason, definitely belonged in any program of study. He placed it between theology and liberal arts in order of importance. In his writings, he set forth a new four-part division of philosophy: theoretical, practical, mechanical, and logical. Most importantly, Hugh was a mystic. His writings and teachings became the doctrine of mysticism of the School of St. Victor. He believed that reason or knowledge lead man to God and, with the help of his reason, man can comprehend the truths made apparent by faith. The believer can then begin the ascent toward God and employ the three functions of the soul: cogitation, meditation, and contemplation. Mysticism as defined by Hugh was an essential element of the religious thought of the second half of the twelfth century.
An enormous amount of writing has been attributed to Hugh, although scholars have insisted that several of these were not actually Hugh’s works. Even disallowing the disputed works, Hugh’s written production was large. His contributions to philosophy and to the development of Scholasticism earn him a place as one of the most significant thinkers of the twelfth century. His writings on the sacraments and mysticism, which he developed at the School of St. Victor, place him among the most important theologians of the twelfth century.