Understanding Scholastic Thought with Foucault

An introduction to scholastic thought written from a contemporary and, notably, Foucauldian perspective. In taking inspiration from the methodology of historical research developed by Foucault, the book places the intellectual achievements of the 13th century and, especially, Thomas Aquinas, in a larger cultural and institutional framework. Rosemann's analysis sees the scholastic tradition as the process of the gradual reinscription of the Greek intellectual heritage into the centre of Christian culture. This process culminated in the 13th century, when new intellectual techniques facilitated the creation of a culture of dialogue. Rosemann argues that the witch hunt can be seen as the result of a subtle but crucial transformation of the scholastic episteme.