Quotes by Peter Abelard

“We do many things carelessly or unwillingly, but nothing studiously unless we are willing and apply ourselves.”

“Are you not moved to tears and bitter compassion, when you behold the only Son of God seized by the most impious, dragged away, mocked, scourged, buffeted, spit upon, crowned with thorns, hung upon...”

“The Son of God took our nature, and in it took upon himself to teach us by both word and example even to the point of death, thus binding us to himself through love.”

“Our redemption through the suffering of Christ is that deeper love within us which not only frees us from slavery to sin, but also secures for us the true liberty of the children of God, in order t...”

“By doubting we are led to question, by questioning we arrive at the truth.”

“It is by doubting that we come to investigate, and by investigating that we recognize the truth.”

“The key to wisdom is this - constant and frequent questioning, for by doubting we are led to question and by questioning we arrive at the truth.”

“The men who abandon themselves to the passions of this miserable life, are compared in Scripture to beasts.”

“I preferred the weapons of dialectic to all the other teachings of philosophy, and armed with these, I chose the conflicts of disputation rather than the trophies of war.”

“Bonam quippe intentionem, hoc est, rectam in se dicimus, operationem vero non quod boni aliquid in se suscipiat, sed quod ex bona intentione procedat. Unde et ab eodem homine cum in diversis tempor...”

“O quanta qualiasunt illa sabbata,quae semper celebratsuperna curia.”

“The purpose and cause of the incarnation was that He might illuminate the world by His wisdom and excite it to the love of Himself.”

“There are many seeming contradictions and even obscurities in the innumerable writings of the church fathers. Our respect for their authority should not stand in the way of an effort on our part to...”

“Doubtless the fathers might err; even Peter, the prince of the apostles, fell into error: what wonder that the saints do not always show themselves inspired? The fathers did not themselves believe ...”

“I have ventured to bring together various dicta of the holy fathers, as they came to mind, and to formulate certain questions which were suggested by the seeming contradictions in the statements. T...”

“Q1 Must human faith be completed by reason, or not?”

“Q2 Does faith deal only with unseen things, or not?”

“Q3 Is there any knowledge of things unseen, or not?”

“Q4 May one believe only in God alone, or not?”

“Q5 Is God a single unitary being, or not?”