Robert Grosseteste on God as Principle and End of Creation

Abstract

In 1238, Robert Grosseteste, bishop of Lincoln, began to translate and comment on the Corpus Dionysiacum. Until now, no complete assessment of Pseudo-Dionysius’s contribution to Grosseteste’s thought has been attempted. The present dissertation aims to take a first step in filling in that blank sector in Grosseteste’s scholarship. I have demonstrated that Grosseteste used the Commentary to elaborate a sort of summary of theology. This summary is based on the three moments of the First Cause indicated in the prologue of the Hexaëmeron and the Deus est. It refers to the triadic movement of the First Principle (remaining-procession-return). In Grosseteste’s eyes, the Corpus develops this triad that was central to his theology, but that he was not able to deepen during his teaching years. According to this triad, God can be considered as He is in Himself, in his absolute transcendence, as the principle of the creation from which everything flows, and that leaves His similitude and image on it; as the ultimate goal of creation to whom everything tends and desires to return. In this scheme is possible to inscribe the whole theological production of Grosseteste. After a general conclusion, two unedited texts are inserted in the Appendix, namely: Book V (dedicated to the theonym ‘Being’) and Book VII (dedicated to the theonym ‘Wisdom’) of Grosseteste’s Commentary on the De divinis nominibus. [edited by Author]