Agobard
Encyclopedia
Agobard of Lyon was a Spanish
-born priest and archbishop of Lyon
, during the Carolingian Renaissance
. The author of multiple treatises, ranging in subject matter from the iconoclast controversy to Spanish Adoptionism
to critiques of the Carolingian
royal family, Agobard is best known for his critiques of Jewish religious practices and political power in the Frankish
realm.
, or assistant bishop. Controversy arose in 814, when the aging Leidrad retired into a monastery, appointing Agobard as his successor. While emperor Louis the Pious
did not object to the appointment, some of the other bishops did, calling a synod at Arles to protest the elevation of a new bishop while the old bishop still lived. Archbishop Leidrad died in 816, and the controversy fizzled out, leaving Agobard as the new archbishop. Soon after taking office, he confronted several issues, which included opposing trials by ordeal
, and, in 818, writing against Felix of Urgel’s Spanish Adoptionist
Christology.
. This stance was opposed by Dungal of Bobbio at the request of Louis the Pious. Agobard, in his Book on Paintings and Images, came out in opposition to Dungal’s method of using secular knowledge to justify veneration of images.
. In 833, when Lothair launched his second revolt, Agobard published his support for Lothair once more in several works: A Comparison of Ecclesiastical and Political Government and Wherein the Dignity of the Church Outshines the Majesty of Empires and the Liber Apologeticus in defense of the rebelling sons of Louis.
and Pepin I of Aquitaine
, and Lothar was subsequently defeated in 834, Agobard was suspended from his episcopate by the Council of Thionville and exiled, replaced by the chorbishop
Amalarius of Metz
(ca. 775- ca. 850). During his tenure in Lyon, Amalarius worked to impose liturgical reforms upon the archdiocese of Lyon. Amalarius’ reforms were characterized by a heavy reliance upon allegorical and symbolic representations within the Mass. Agobard, on the other hand, disdained Amalarius’ reforms as “theatrical” and “showy” and favored a more plain liturgy. Amalarius’ reforms were also opposed by Agobard’s disciple Florus of Lyon; Amalarius was deposed and accused of heresy in 838. Agobard wrote three works against Amalarius: On Divine Psalmody, On the Correction of the Antiphonary, and Liber officialis. When he returned to Lyon, Agobard worked to roll back Amalarius’ actions, with the support of Florus.
, when a manuscript was discovered in Lyons and published by Papirius Masson
, and again by Baluze in 1666. Agobard's complete works can be found in Volume 104 of J.P. Migne's
Patrologia Latina
, and, in a more recent edition, in Van Acker's Agobardi Lugdunensis Opera Omnia.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
-born priest and archbishop of Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, during the Carolingian Renaissance
Carolingian Renaissance
In the history of ideas the Carolingian Renaissance stands out as a period of intellectual and cultural revival in Europe occurring from the late eighth century, in the generation of Alcuin, to the 9th century, and the generation of Heiric of Auxerre, with the peak of the activities coordinated...
. The author of multiple treatises, ranging in subject matter from the iconoclast controversy to Spanish Adoptionism
Spanish Adoptionism
Spanish Adoptionism was a Christian theological position which was articulated in Umayyad and Christian-held regions of the Iberian peninsula in the 8th- and 9th centuries. The issue seems to have begun with the claim of archbishop Elipandus of Toledo that – in respect to his human nature – Jesus...
to critiques of the Carolingian
Carolingian
The Carolingian dynasty was a Frankish noble family with origins in the Arnulfing and Pippinid clans of the 7th century AD. The name "Carolingian", Medieval Latin karolingi, an altered form of an unattested Old High German *karling, kerling The Carolingian dynasty (known variously as the...
royal family, Agobard is best known for his critiques of Jewish religious practices and political power in the Frankish
Franks
The Franks were a confederation of Germanic tribes first attested in the third century AD as living north and east of the Lower Rhine River. From the third to fifth centuries some Franks raided Roman territory while other Franks joined the Roman troops in Gaul. Only the Salian Franks formed a...
realm.
Early Life
A native of Spain, Agobard moved to Lyon in 792. He was ordained as a priest ca. 804, and was well-liked by the archbishop of Lyon, Leidrad (r. 799-816). At some point, Agobard was ordained as a chorbishopChorbishop
A chorbishop is a rank of Christian clergy below bishop. The name chorepiscope or chorepiscopus is taken from the Greek and means rural bishop.-History:Chorepiscopi are first mentioned by Eusebius in the second century...
, or assistant bishop. Controversy arose in 814, when the aging Leidrad retired into a monastery, appointing Agobard as his successor. While emperor Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious
Louis the Pious , also called the Fair, and the Debonaire, was the King of Aquitaine from 781. He was also King of the Franks and co-Emperor with his father, Charlemagne, from 813...
did not object to the appointment, some of the other bishops did, calling a synod at Arles to protest the elevation of a new bishop while the old bishop still lived. Archbishop Leidrad died in 816, and the controversy fizzled out, leaving Agobard as the new archbishop. Soon after taking office, he confronted several issues, which included opposing trials by ordeal
Trial by ordeal
Trial by ordeal is a judicial practice by which the guilt or innocence of the accused is determined by subjecting them to an unpleasant, usually dangerous experience...
, and, in 818, writing against Felix of Urgel’s Spanish Adoptionist
Spanish Adoptionism
Spanish Adoptionism was a Christian theological position which was articulated in Umayyad and Christian-held regions of the Iberian peninsula in the 8th- and 9th centuries. The issue seems to have begun with the claim of archbishop Elipandus of Toledo that – in respect to his human nature – Jesus...
Christology.
Anti-Jewish Polemic
Agobard is notorious for his vocal attacks on the local Jewish population. Jewish communities in the Frankish realm had been granted considerable freedoms under Louis the Pious, including a prohibition on Christian proselytizing. Louis appointed a magister Iudaeorum to ensure Jewish legal protection, and did not force Jews to allow baptism for their slaves. Agobard found this last provision particularly galling, and wrote his first anti-Jewish tract on the matter: De Baptismo Judaicorum Mancipiorum (ca. 823). For the rest of the decade, Agobard campaigned against what he saw as the dangerous growth in power and influence of Jews in the kingdom that was contrary to canon law. It was during this time that he wrote such works as Contra Praeceptum Impium (ca. 826), De Insolentia Judeorum (ca. 827), De Judaicis Superstitionibus (ca. 827), and De Cavendo Convictu et Societate Judaica ( ca. 827). Agobard’s rhetoric, which included describing Jews as “filii diaboli,” – children of the devil – was indicative of the developing anti-Jewish strain of medieval Christian thought. As Jeremy Cohen has claimed, Agobard’s response was paradoxically both stereotypical and knowledgeable (he showed a great knowledge of contemporary Judaism, while maintaining and perpetuating stereotypes).Icons
In the 820s, a controversy emerged over the iconoclastic policies of bishop Claudius of TurinClaudius of Turin
Claudius of Turin was the Catholic bishop of Turin from 817 until his death. He was a courtier of Louis the Pious and was a writer during the Carolingian Renaissance. He is most noted for teaching iconoclasm, a radical idea at that time in Latin Church, and for some teachings that prefigured...
. This stance was opposed by Dungal of Bobbio at the request of Louis the Pious. Agobard, in his Book on Paintings and Images, came out in opposition to Dungal’s method of using secular knowledge to justify veneration of images.
Political Problems
In the 820s, Agobard had already shown his willingness to challenge Louis the Pious on the subject of Jews and on secular holdings of church land. Agobard continued to confront the emperor, particularly on the issues of royal succession and the matter of land ownership. Agobard accused the emperor of abandoning his 817 Ordinatio imperii decree, which promoted an all-encompassing unity of church and empire. In both of the two rebellions against Louis, 830 and 833, Agobard supported the ill-fated revolt of Louis’ son Lothair ILothair I
Lothair I or Lothar I was the Emperor of the Romans , co-ruling with his father until 840, and the King of Bavaria , Italy and Middle Francia...
. In 833, when Lothair launched his second revolt, Agobard published his support for Lothair once more in several works: A Comparison of Ecclesiastical and Political Government and Wherein the Dignity of the Church Outshines the Majesty of Empires and the Liber Apologeticus in defense of the rebelling sons of Louis.
Exile and Return
After Louis was restored to his power, backed by his sons Louis the GermanLouis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
and Pepin I of Aquitaine
Pepin I of Aquitaine
Pepin I was King of Aquitaine.-Biography:He was the second son of Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye....
, and Lothar was subsequently defeated in 834, Agobard was suspended from his episcopate by the Council of Thionville and exiled, replaced by the chorbishop
Chorbishop
A chorbishop is a rank of Christian clergy below bishop. The name chorepiscope or chorepiscopus is taken from the Greek and means rural bishop.-History:Chorepiscopi are first mentioned by Eusebius in the second century...
Amalarius of Metz
Amalarius of Metz
Amalarius of Metz was a liturgist. He wrote extensively on the Mass and was involved in the great Medieval debates regarding predestination. We must rely on his enemy, Florus of Lyon, for an account of Amalar's condemnation at Quierzy, 838. While the exact date of his death is not known, it is...
(ca. 775- ca. 850). During his tenure in Lyon, Amalarius worked to impose liturgical reforms upon the archdiocese of Lyon. Amalarius’ reforms were characterized by a heavy reliance upon allegorical and symbolic representations within the Mass. Agobard, on the other hand, disdained Amalarius’ reforms as “theatrical” and “showy” and favored a more plain liturgy. Amalarius’ reforms were also opposed by Agobard’s disciple Florus of Lyon; Amalarius was deposed and accused of heresy in 838. Agobard wrote three works against Amalarius: On Divine Psalmody, On the Correction of the Antiphonary, and Liber officialis. When he returned to Lyon, Agobard worked to roll back Amalarius’ actions, with the support of Florus.
Other works
During his life, Agobard wrote more works on other issues, including several against pagan practices, two on the role of clergy, and a treatise on icons. Many of his works were lost until 1605Editio princeps
In classical scholarship, editio princeps is a term of art. It means, roughly, the first printed edition of a work that previously had existed only in manuscripts, which could be circulated only after being copied by hand....
, when a manuscript was discovered in Lyons and published by Papirius Masson
Jean Papire Masson
Jean Papire Masson, Jean Papyre Masson, Johannis Papirii Massonis was a French historian, geographer, biographer, literary critic and jurist....
, and again by Baluze in 1666. Agobard's complete works can be found in Volume 104 of J.P. Migne's
Jacques Paul Migne
Jacques Paul Migne was a French priest who published inexpensive and widely-distributed editions of theological works, encyclopedias and the texts of the Church Fathers, with the goal of providing a universal library for the Catholic priesthood.He was born at Saint-Flour, Cantal and studied...
Patrologia Latina
Patrologia Latina
The Patrologia Latina is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques-Paul Migne between 1844 and 1855, with indices published between 1862 and 1865....
, and, in a more recent edition, in Van Acker's Agobardi Lugdunensis Opera Omnia.
Further Reading
- Agobard of Lyon, Agobardi Lugdunensis Opera Omnia. Ed. L. Van Acker. CCCM 52. Turnhout: Brepols, 1981.
- Cabaniss, Allen. Agobard of Lyons: Churchman and Critic. Syracuse, 1954.
- Cohen, Jeremy. Living Letter of the Law: Ideas of the Jew in Medieval Christianity. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999.
- D’Onofrio, Giulio, ed. History of Theology II: The Middle Ages. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2008.
- Ginther, James R. Westminster Handbook to Medieval Theology. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2009.
- Wemple, S. “Claudius of Turin’s Organic Metaphor or the Carolingian Doctrine of Incorporation.” Speculum 49 (1974): 222-37.