CH 310 Readings in Ecclesiastical Latin Literature: The Glossa Ordinaria on the Gospel of Matthew

Abstract

The primary purpose of the course is to read medieval Latin in order to increase your skill at it, whether you wish to do this for pleasure, or for your research and thesis work. I am assuming the class will have different levels of skill. The goal is each person’s improvement, not impeccability. The material selected for translation is a commentary on the Bible, known as the Glossa ordinaria, or “ordinary gloss”, the standard interpretation of the Bible from the 12th to the 16th century. The entire work has never been translated into English, yet for students studying the history of Scriptural exegesis, or later medieval theology and philosophy, it is a fundamental source for entering into the intellectual life of all the Schoolmasters and students of the later Middle Ages. Thus, the content of the material may be valuable for your studies, as well as the Latinity.