Robert of Courçon

Robert of Courson (c. 1160/1170 in Kedleston, Derbyshire, England; † February 12, 1219 in Damietta ) was an English Cardinal, papal legate and chancellor of the University of Paris.

Biography

After studying at Oxford, Paris, and Rome in 1211 he became chancellor of the University of Paris. 1212 he was appointed cardinal in 1213 to campaign papal legate with the order for a new crusade. In 1215 he was chairman of a commission to investigate at the University of Paris widespread "errors".

He had an active part of a campaign against heresy in France, and accompanied the Fifth Crusade to Egypt as legate of Pope Honorius III .. He died during the siege of Damietta.

Works

Robert of Courson is the author of several works, including a Summa, which deals with issues of Canon Law and ethical issues, but also with the usury.

His intervention in the affairs of the University of Paris, especially the discussions that broke out after the introduction of the Arabic translation of Aristotle, led in 1215 to ban all Aristotelian writings and their summaries ( summae de eiusdem ). At the same time, he renewed the condemnation of the pantheists David of Dinant and Amalric of Bene, but also approved the use of Aristotle's works.