Just and Sinner Podcast Gabriel Biel and the End of Scholasticism (Makers of the Modern World)
Jan 16, 2026
Discover the intriguing life and thoughts of Gabriel Biel, the last of the medieval scholastics. Explore his fascinating transition from medieval scholasticism to humanism and the Reformation. Learn about his unique views on God's powers, the interplay of mercy and justice in divine decrees, and human freedom. Reflect on Biel's calls for introspection and the signs of grace in a believer's life. Delve into his ideas about sacraments as indicators of inner disposition, and the role of church authority in matters of faith.
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Biel As The Last Medieval Synthesizer
- Gabriel Biel marks the end of medieval scholasticism by synthesizing nominalism into theology.
- He imports Ockham's voluntarism to reshape how God, law, and reason relate.
Ordained Versus Absolute Divine Power
- Biel hinges his system on potentia ordinata versus potentia absoluta, separating God's ordained plan from his absolute power.
- This allows God to be able to do more than what he has chosen to enact in creation.
Two Decrees Bind Mercy And Justice
- Obermann reads Biel as positing two decrees: an eternal choosing of a possible world and a temporal decree unfolding redemption.
- Both decrees move from mercy to justice, binding God and humanity to an ordered covenant.
