Parisian Discussions Of The Beatific Vision After The Council Of Vienne: Thomas Wylton, Sibert Of Beka, Peter Auriol, And Raymundus Bequini

Abstract

In the constitution nostrum qui from 1312, the Council of Vienne condemned a series of errors that were supposedly widespread among communities of Beghards and Beguines. It appears that the nostrum qui gave rise to some heated exchanges on the issue of beatific vision among Parisian theologians. The immediately question was whether the beatific vision is invariably conditioned by this light or whether the lumen gloriae is a necessary condition of visio beata or merely a contingent factor in order of salvation. This chapter outlines a few of these Parisian debates. Four theologians (Thomas Wylton, Sibert of Beka, Peter Auriol, and Raymundus Bequini) appear to have contributed in a significant way and from the texts that sprang from these debates it clearly transpires that there was an acute awareness of the boundary set by the decision of council and necessity of staying within the confines of Church doctrine. Keywords: Ad nostrum qui; Beghards and Beguines; beatific vision; Council of Vienne; Parisian theologians; Peter Auriol; Raymundus Bequini; Sibert of Beka; Thomas Wylton