Authorship and Publicity Before Print. Jean Gerson and the Transformation of Late Medieval Learning (review)

Jean Gerson (1363-1429) was one of the most important theologians of the late Middle Ages. Coming from a modest background in the hamlet of Gerson in northern France, he made it to the top of the University of Paris, where he held the office of chancellor from 1395. Gerson's fame and influence probably peaked during the Council of Constance, where he was regarded the most prominent theologian. Furthermore, he was among the most productive writers of the Middle Ages, leaving more than 500 known works for posterity. Earlier scholars have called the fifteenth century "the century of Gerson", and Daniel Hobbins, one of the newest contributors to the abundant study of Gerson, agrees. In spite of his obvious importance for theology and written culture in fifteenth-century Europe, Jean Gerson remains a somewhat overlooked figure for most medievalists outside devoted "Gersonist circles", which, in Hobbins's opinion, is a shame: "Gerson research desperately needs to be drawn into larger conversations that for the most part have excluded him" (14).

In his first book, Authorship and Publicity Before Print: Jean Gerson and the Transformation of late Medieval Learning, Daniel Hobbins focuses on the more technical side of Gerson's authorship: how he wrote in different genres and styles, and how the works were distributed to his audience in a world before the technology of book printing. Generously using his impressive insight on the works of Gerson as well as other high and late medieval writers, Hobbins invites his reader on a fascinating and educational tour through not only the authorship of Jean Gerson, but also — as the book's title promises — through the transformation of learning in late medieval Europe in general. Hobbins's book takes a chronological approach, though not in terms of Gerson's overall authorship, but rather in the authorial process from the initial decision to write, the choice of genre and style to write in, the production of the actual work on paper, to making the product available to the rest of the world.

In chapter 3, the reader is offered a closer look at the broader authorship of Jean Gerson. For this, Hobbins has chosen only to include works from Gerson's late, but extremely productive period from 1418 to his death in 1429. This approach gives a fine presentation of Gerson's mature authorship during his exile in Lyon. While this is indeed commendable and undoubtedly will attract more readers to this otherwise rather neglected part of Gerson's writings, one can argue that it is perhaps not the most representative period for his entire authorship. In some sense these late works are a bit "messy", as they not only are a product of Gerson's deliberate attempt to sum up all his wisdom for posterity, but also seem to lack the editorial censorship, which he invested in his earlier works before publishing them.

Among his many interesting points, Hobbins argues that Gerson's authorship requires a new literary category that breaks down the rigid scholastic-humanist dichotomy. Often solidly anchored in strict literary guidelines with a stable theological language set down by thirteenth-century authorities, Gerson was also aware of the importance of using various literary and rhetorical qualities to help the message get through to his intended audience. According to Hobbins, it would be underestimating Gerson to describe him as a transitional figure between scholasticism and humanism, in allowing traditional academic periodization to interpret the evidence for us. Rather, Gerson's authorship should be seen as both being representative and a model for fifteenth-century writing before the breakthrough of humanism.

Another essential point in Hobbins is his recognition of Jean Gerson as a "medieval public intellectual", far more concerned than any of his academic predecessors with the world beyond the schools. Gerson realized that he had a huge...