The Uniqueness of Prima Causa in Sankt Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, 673

Abstract

This essay examines Prima Causa, a case unique to Sankt Gallen, Stiftsbibliothek, 673, and its place in the broader conversation about the emergence, spread, formation, and imparting of legal knowledge in the twelfth century. It argues that Prima Causa, despite sharing some of the same texts found in the Distinctiones of the first recension of the Decretum, forms a tightly woven case that engages directly with issues central to those working in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries – clerical celibacy, the worthiness or unworthiness of candidates for the major orders, and election to the prelacy. However, it does not engage other issues of concern, specifically the importance of ecclesiastical hierarchy and papal primacy. The version of the Decretum found in Sg is thus a fascinating witness to the fluidity of legal knowledge that predates the relative standardization of the text.