# Gottschalk, a medieval theologian



## Authorised (Jul 27, 2004)

I recently found a book called [u:23054bcde1]Lucifer: the Devil in the Middle Ages[/u:23054bcde1] which is written by Jeffrey Burton Russell, seemingly a non-reformed Christian, though one might be hard pressed to discern whether a Christian or not, considering he is very objective. Anyway, he oftentimes enters rabbit trails in metaphysics and other theological situations while he discusses the "evolution" of how people came to view Satan during the medieval time period; so while I was reading in his fifth chapter titled "Early Medieval Diabology" he begins to discuss a theologian named Gottschalk (804-868/869). Gottschalk's theology was described thusly:

"Where Gottschalk's opponents emphasized free will, Gottschalk insisted upon the absolute need for grace. As a result of original sin we are incapaple of using our free will for anything but sin: we have only a [i:23054bcde1]libertas peccandi.[/i:23054bcde1] Only when Christ works in us through his grace do we have the freedom to do good and to be saved; without grace we are still free only to sin and be damned. Whoever recieves grace has Christ working in him, and Christ cannot be resisted."

He later goes on to criticize Gottschalk's view of election, stating "But he inclined toward a more severe double presdestination. It was not only that God predestined the Devil to hell in the sense of predestining the punishment for sins that the devil freely commits. God could not foreknow something without willing it, for then he would be changeable...the difficulties of Gottschalk's position is that it effectively eliminates freedom of the will...it implies that Christ died only for the elect and that baptism has little effect...That God did not die for the unbaptized or for sinners among the baptized seemed clear to Gottschalk."

Anyone else find this interesting? This is the earliest definite formulation of Calvinism that I have found before the time of Calvin himself. Predictably enough, Gottschalk was condemned as a heretic in 849 at the council of Quierzy, whipped, forced to burn his own books, and confined to a monastary for the rest of his life. 

Has anyone else here heard of him?


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## Craig (Jul 27, 2004)

Try the link below to the Catholic Encyclopedia
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/06682a.htm
You won't learn much, if anything more. He may have had a heretical view of the Trinity...but that was literally only touched on.


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## Learner (Aug 2, 2004)

*Pre-reformation Calvinists*

Hey Aaron!Gottshalk has been fascinating to me for quite some time.Augustus Toplady wrote :"The Historic Proof of the Doctrinal Calvinism of the Church of England".Gordon Clark quotes Toplady's book on Gottshalk in "God and Evil",which in turn was originally within his "Religion,Reason and Revelation".Mr.G.says:"Our Lord perceived that they were predestined to everlasting destruction and were not purchased with the price of his blood."The former was with regard to the reprobate Jews.
Clark then, through Toplady, quotes a contemporary of Gottshalk.This is Remigus,archbishop of Lyons:"Nor is it possible for any one elect person to perish,or that any of the reprobate should be saved,because of their hardness and impenitency of heart....almighty God did,from the beginning,prior to the formation of the world,and before he had made anything,predestine...some certain persons to glory,of his own gratuitous favor...Other certain persons he hath predestined to perdition...and of these none can be saved."
Are you aware of the Calvinism of John of Wesalia;the Venerable Bede(672-735);Thomas Bradwardine(my man)(1290-1349);and Robert Greathead(1175-1253)?


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## VanVos (Aug 2, 2004)

Great find, it's good to know that God has always had his people and his Church. God promises will never fail Matt 28:19-20, Matt 16:18. 

VanVos


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## irishcalvinist (Aug 13, 2004)

*Herman Hanko's book 'Portraits of Faithful Saints'*

[size=17:cab7a831fc]There is a chapter devoted to Gotteschalk ('Martyr for Predestination') in Herman Hanko's book 'Portraits of Faithful Saints' which is online: http://www.prca.org/books/portraits[/size:cab7a831fc]


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