ZMAJEVI I DIVOVI POD ZEMLJOM: FOSILI I IMAGINARIJ SREDNJEG VIJEKA

 

DISCIPLINING THE SOUL: SUMMA CONFESSORUM AS A MIRROR OF MEDIEVAL CANON LAW

Keywords: historiography, Latin paleography, Roman Catholic Church, Summa confessorum, Johannes von Freiburg, Medieval law, Canon law, Moral Theology, Dominican Order, digital humanities

"Corruptio optimi pessima" — The corruption of the best is the worst.

Who shaped the conscience of the medieval man?

One of the key—but today nearly forgotten—figures was the Dominican friar Johannes von Freiburg (Johannes Friburgensis Lector, ca. 1250–1314). A theologian and jurist, his work Summa confessorum laid the foundation for practical confession practices throughout the Middle Ages.

What Is Summa Confessorum?

Written in the late 13th century, this handbook for confessors systematically compiled moral and legal guidance for administering the sacrament of penance. Building on earlier works such as Raymond of Peñafort’s, Johannes expanded the framework with practical cases (quaestiones casuales) and reflections influenced by Thomas Aquinas. This wasn’t just a theological treatise—it was a pastoral tool, a “mirror of conscience” used by priests in daily practice.

A Medieval Best-Seller?

With more than 200 surviving manuscripts and its first printed edition published in Augsburg in 1476, the Summa testifies to remarkable popularity and influence.

Translation into Vernacular

Its reach extended beyond cloister walls, thanks to Berthold’s Rechtssumme, a German vernacular adaptation that brought Johannes’ ideas to a broader public.

De Conscientia

In a world where sin and forgiveness shaped not only theology but also social control, Johannes offered clergy practical tools: how to evaluate degrees of sin, discern true repentance, and grant absolution. In essence—how to become a wise “judge of conscience.”

My Journey with the Summa Confessorum

My fascination with Johannes’ Summa began unexpectedly. During a Latin paleography workshop, I came across an unidentified manuscript fragment on the digital platform FromThePage. The dense strokes of Gothic minuscule looked like encrypted messages from another era. But after transcribing the first ten lines, it began revealing its secrets.

Stylistic clues and the internet helped me identify the text as part of the Summa confessorum. Two folios are digitally preserved at Stanford University Library (Medieval Manuscripts: Fragment Collection, M0297, Box 1, Item 25)—an exhilarating discovery, and a privilege to transcribe these forgotten lines that once guided confessors through labyrinths of medieval morality.

 
Summa confessorum by Johannes von Freiburg. Stanford University Libraries, Medieval Manuscripts: Fragment Collection (M0297, Box 1, Item 25).

Contents of the Fragment

The fragment includes two richly detailed passages reflecting moral tensions and spiritual dilemmas of medieval Christian society:

1. Christian Servants in Jewish and Saracen Households

Johannes discusses whether Christians may serve in non-Christian households—particularly those of Jews and Saracens (Muslims). Citing legal authorities like Hostiensis and Raymond of Peñafort, he notes that refusal to leave such service might warrant excommunication.

Another issue: can the Church accept tithes from estates that passed from Christian to Jewish ownership? Some canonists allow it if profits come from labor, but not from usury—invoking the dignity of the Church.

2. On Heretics (De hereticis)

Here we find a medieval taxonomy of heresy. Heretics are those who willfully and stubbornly deviate from Catholic doctrine. Johannes lists six foundational types:

1. Founder of heresy (e.g. Arius)
2. Adherent of heretical doctrine
3. Misinterpreter of Scripture
4. Excommunicate
5. Simoniac
6. One who doubts the essential truths of faith

And a seventh: one who undermines the privileges of the Roman Church—threatening papal authority.

Heresy isn’t just mental error—it’s stubbornness of will. The Church saw it as both a spiritual and legal danger.

The Journey Continues?

The manuscript found me when I least expected it. The Summa confessorum whispered its first lines to me. Wrapped in ink and centuries of moral conflict, I know one thing—my journey through its world is far from over.

Transcription Credit:

Latin Paleography Workshop – Unidentified Fragment. Transcribed by Ana-Marija Šipić, M.A. in History. Stanford University Libraries, Medieval Manuscripts: Fragment Collection (M0297, Box 1, Item 25). View the Fragment on FromThePage

• Note: I volunteer on the FromThePage platform where I help transcribe and research historical Latin manuscripts. My work on the Summa confessorum fragment featured here is part of that commitment.

Sources and Bibliography

• Johannes von Freiburg. Summa confessorum (13th century) — manuscript fragment used: Stanford University Libraries, Medieval Manuscripts: Fragment Collection (M0297, Box 1, Item 25). Transcribed via the FromThePage platform.

• "Johannes von Freiburg." Mittelalter-Lexikon, last updated February 2, 2006. Accessed July 7, 2025. https://www.mittelalter-lexikon.de/wiki/Johannes_von_Freiburg

• "Johannes von Freiburg." Deutsche Biographie, last accessed July 7, 2025. https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/gnd118829122.html#ndbcontent

• Biblissima Portal. “Summa confessorum.” Accessed July 7, 2025.

• Cappelli, Cesare. Dictionary of Latin and Italian Abbreviations. Bologna: Società Tipografica Editrice, 1912.

• Latin is Simple. Online Latin Dictionary for Students. Indo-European Languages Preservation and Digitization Project, 2016–2025.

#medieval history#latin paleography#medieval manuscripts#cannon law#Roman Catholic Church#dominican order#moral theology#digital humanities