Scholastic Debates at the Council of Constance

Timeline

1. 1414–1415Constance · Baden-WürttembergThe French and German delegations argued that the authority of a general council exceeded that of the pope (conciliarism), clashing sharply with curial scholars over the legal and theological foundations of the decree Haec Sancta; the debate touched on church constitution and the tradition of scholastic jurisprudence.
2. 1414–1415Constance · Baden-WürttembergOckhamist scholastic scholars and conservative realist theologians debated universals, voluntarism, and theories of grace; the discussion directly shaped the theological framework of the heresy charges against Hus, reflecting internal tensions within late scholasticism.
3. 1415Constance · Baden-WürttembergUnder the council's threefold program of faith, schism, and reform, the assembly deliberated on clerical morals, simony, and curial finances; scholastic theologians and canonists proposed reform measures, most of which were never fully implemented, yet this was one of the most important reform discussions before the Council of Trent.