Johannes Klenkok Explained

Johannes Klenkok (or Klenke) (c. 1310 – 15 June 1374) was a German Augustinian friar, known as a theologian and disciple of Gregory of Rimini.^[1]

Life

Klenkok was born in the County of Hoya, part of what is now Lower Saxony, son of a castellan in Thedinghausen.^[2] He studied philosophy and theology in Germany with the Augustinians, then took a bachelor's degree at the University of Paris.^[3] He was in Bologna from 1342 to 1346.^[4]

At the University of Oxford for about four years, from the first half of 1357, Klenkok transmitted the views of Gregory of Rimini. His intention was to oppose the positions of Uthred of Bolton.^{[1] [3]} He was incepted in theology there, in 1359.^[5]

Views and background

Klenkok is now known as a critic of aspects of the feudal law and common law traditions.^[3] He opposed the Sachsenspiegel, a civil law code applied in parts of Germany in his time. He debated it with Rudolf Block.^[6] His work the Decadicon from 1368–9 was an attack on it.^{[3] [7]} Later Klenkok looked for support from the French canonist Pierre de la Vergne, who became a cardinal in 1371.^[8] In 1374 Pope Gregory XI issued a bull and condemned 14 articles of the Sachsenspiegel.

Others like Klenkok who put forth a revised version of the views of Gregory of Rimini included Hugolin of Orvieto, Johann Hiltalinger, Angelinus Dobelinus, and Johannes Zacharie.^[9] Of these, Dobelinus considered Klenkok his personal teacher.^[10] As a commentator at Paris he was in the company of John of Ripa, Facinus de Ast, Michael Aiguani and Andrew of Neufchateau. These writers stood rather apart from the trend of the moderni.

Editions

As of 1999, a modern scholarly edition of his works was lacking.^[11]

References

Sources

• Christopher Ocker, Johannes Klenkok: A Friar's Life, c. 1310-1374, Transactions, American Philosophical Society (vol. 83, Part 5, 1993). Online at Google Books

Further reading

• Damasus Trapp, Notes on John Klenkok (d. 1374), Augustinianum, 4 (1964): pp. 358–404,
• Lars Rentmeister, Staat und Kirche im späten Mittelalter - Der Schriftwechsel zwischen Johannes Klenkok und Herbord von Spangenberg über den Sachsenspiegel, tredition (2016),

Notes and References

1. Web site: Wyclif and Lollardy . Lahey . Stephen . 2001 . digitalcommons.unl.edu . 2019-09-28.
2. Book: Christopher Ocker. Johannes Klenkok: A Friar's Life, C. 1310-1374. 1993. American Philosophical Society. 978-0-87169-835-3. 7.
3. Book: Mediaeval Commentaries on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. 23 January 2015. BRILL. 978-90-04-28304-6. 320 note 18.
4. Web site: John Klenkok OESA, ALCUIN, Infothek der Scholastik. 17 August 2016.
5. Book: William James Courtenay. Jürgen Miethke. David B. Priest. Universities and Schooling in Medieval Society. January 2000. Brill. 90-04-11351-7. 28.
6. Book: Christopher Ocker. Johannes Klenkok: A Friar's Life, c. 1310–1374. 1993. American Philosophical Society. 978-0-87169-835-3. 58.
7. [s:Catholic Encyclopedia (1913)/Hermits of St. Augustine]
8. Book: Christopher Ocker. Johannes Klenkok: A Friar's Life, C. 1310-1374. 1993. American Philosophical Society. 978-0-87169-835-3. 76.
9. Book: Eleonore Stump. Norman Kretzmann. The Cambridge Companion to Augustine. 15 March 2001. Cambridge University Press. 978-0-521-65985-7. 261.
10. Book: Mediaeval Commentaries on the Sentences of Peter Lombard. 23 January 2015. BRILL. 978-90-04-28304-6. 320.
11. Book: Allan Fitzgerald. John C. Cavadini. Augustine Through the Ages: An Encyclopedia. 1999. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing. 978-0-8028-3843-8. 758.