Creating a Scholarly Edition of a Text: The Example of Gratian’s De Penitentia
Scholarship relies on texts. Good scholarship relies on good editions of texts. Sometimes theologians and pastors take for granted the text on the page in front of them, and sometimes they do not have an awareness of the difference a particular edition before them can make to understanding an author and their theological viewpoints. Some great works of theology do not currently exist in print; others exist in print only because an early modern printer took one manuscript copy and published that version of text. Some editions provide a text but little scholarly apparatus to help the reader understand the text in terms of its source material, specific terminology, and historical context. This pro-seminar will raise some of these issues and provide an example of the process and challenges involved in creating a scholarly edition of a medieval Latin theological text, namely Gratian's De penitentia, or treatise on penance (c. 1130s). In doing so, scholars, students, and pastors can gain a greater understanding of how to spot good editions of texts and how to use them responsibly as readers of the Christian tradition.
Scholarship relies on texts. Good scholarship relies on good editions of texts. Sometimes theologians and pastors take for granted the text on the page in front of them, and sometimes they do not have an awareness of the difference a particular edition before them can make to understanding an author and their theological viewpoints. Some great works of theology do not currently exist in print; others exist in print only because an early modern printer took one manuscript copy and published that version of text. Some editions provide a text but little scholarly apparatus to help the reader understand the text in terms of its source material, specific terminology, and historical context. This pro-seminar will raise some of these issues and provide an example of the process and challenges involved in creating a scholarly edition of a medieval Latin theological text, namely Gratian's De penitentia, or treatise on penance (c. 1130s). In doing so, scholars, students, and pastors can gain a greater understanding of how to spot good editions of texts and how to use them responsibly as readers of the Christian tradition.
Scholarship relies on texts. Good scholarship relies on good editions of texts. Sometimes theologians and pastors take for granted the text on the page in front of them, and sometimes they do not have an awareness of the difference a particular edition before them can make to understanding an author and their theological viewpoints. Some great works of theology do not currently exist in print; others exist in print only because an early modern printer took one manuscript copy and published that version of text. Some editions provide a text but little scholarly apparatus to help the reader understand the text in terms of its source material, specific terminology, and historical context. This pro-seminar will raise some of these issues and provide an example of the process and challenges involved in creating a scholarly edition of a medieval Latin theological text, namely Gratian's De penitentia, or treatise on penance (c. 1130s). In doing so, scholars, students, and pastors can gain a greater understanding of how to spot good editions of texts and how to use them responsibly as readers of the Christian tradition.