Who was William of Ockham?
Answered from the commentary of Church History
William of Ockham was a famous Franciscan doctor, known in the schools as the “singular and invincible doctor,” and more a metaphysician than a theologian. He had studied at Paris under Duns Scotus and boldly attacked papal claims to temporal dominion and plenitude of power; he denied the infallibility of the pope and general councils, and maintained that the Emperor was not dependent on the pope and had the right to choose him. When threatened with the church’s highest censures, he found shelter at the court of St. Louis, saying, “Defend me with your sword, and I will defend you with the word of God”; he died under sentence of excommunication at Munich in 1347.
Verses: John 1:1, John 1:14, John 14:6, 1 Corinthians 1:20, 1 Corinthians 1:21, 1 Corinthians 1:22, 1 Corinthians 1:23, 1 Corinthians 1:24, 1 Corinthians 1:25, Colossians 2:8
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What the commentators say
The passages the answer is drawn from, the most direct first, with the words that bear on the question marked.
Duns Scotus was a doctor of great celebrity; but his birthplace and early life are enveloped in obscurity. Dean Waddington says, without question, "This doctor died in the year 1308. He was a native of Dunse, in Scotland, and a Franciscan." He was a dialectician and styled the "subtle doctor." He boldly ventured to impugn some of the positions of the great St. Thomas, which gave rise to a controversy between the Dominicans and the Franciscans that lasted hundreds of years, engaged the attention of popes and councils, as it even still divides the schools of the Latins. The principal points of theological difference between these great doctors were, "the nature of divine co-operation, and the measure of divine grace necessary to a man's salvation," with what is called the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary. The Dominicans maintained that the holy virgin was not exempt from the taint of original sin; the Franciscans supported the immaculate conception.*
William of Ockham, so called from his native place in the county of Surrey, had studied at Paris, under Duns Scotus and became a famous doctor of the Franciscans. According to the custom of the schools, he was distinguished by high sounding titles, such as the "singular and invincible doctor." But he was more of a metaphysician than a theologian. He boldly attacked the papal pretensions on many points, but especially as to temporal dominion and "the plenitude of power." He denied the infallibility of the pope and the general councils; and maintained that the Emperor was not dependent on the pope, but that the Emperor has the right of choosing him. These anti-papal opinions soon spread in all directions, and made their way to all classes through the agency of the mendicant friars. When threatened with the highest censures of the church, he found a shelter at the court of St. Louis, who greatly favoured the Franciscans. "Defend me with your sword," said William to the king, "and I will defend you with the word of God." He died under the sentence of excommunication at Munich, in 1347.*
Reflections on the Schoolmen
Verses
- John 1:1In [the] beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
- John 1:14And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we have contemplated his glory, a glory as of an only-begotten with a father), full of grace and truth;
- John 14:6Jesus says to him, I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father unless by me.
- 1 Corinthians 1:20–2520Where [is the] wise? where scribe? where disputer of this world? has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world by wisdom has not known God, God has been pleased by the foolishness of the preaching to save those that believe. 22Since Jews indeed ask for signs, and Greeks seek wisdom; 23but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews an offence, and to nations foolishness; 24but to those that [are] called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ God's power and God's wisdom. 25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.