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Gratian the Theologian. By John C. Wei. [Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Canon Law, Volume 13.] (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press. 2016. Pp. xviii, 353. $65.00. Hardcover. ISBN 978-0-81322803-7.)
One of the most significant texts of the twelfth century is Gratian's Decretum, or Concordantia discordantium canonum. Gratian has long been hailed as the "father" of medieval canon law, but, despite his importance, little is known about Gratian himself. The Decretum remains the only reliable source for Gratian's background, interests, and goals. Since Anders Winroth's discovery of a first recension, scholars have been able to explore more clearly what Gratian's intentions were in composing his text, what sources he did or did not use, and how his thought may have changed over time. These discoveries, however, have also opened other questions currently debated in the literature. John Wei's Gratian the Theologian sets out to reassess the theological content of the Decretum in the light of this first recension.
Wei's monograph is the culmination of work that he had begun in his dissertation under Winroth. Although Gratian was a gifted...