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The Medieval Church · c. 1150–1158
The Four Books of Sentences
Sententiae in IV Libris Distinctae
Peter Lombard · c. 1096–1160
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What it is
Doctrine arranged in four books — the Trinity, creation, the incarnation, the sacraments and last things — with the authorities marshalled under each question and a cautious verdict given.
Why it lasted
The theology textbook of Europe for four hundred years. Every medieval theologian of note, including Aquinas and Luther, began by lecturing on it.
Where to read it
Public domain and free to read in full, though not held here. The archives below have it.
These open a search on each archive rather than a direct link, which is the honest way to point at an edition nobody here has checked line by line.
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