The revival of Platonism in western Europe during the eleventh century inspired
masters of cathedral schools to explore ways by which philosophy could serve as
the handmaiden of theology. Yet some churchmen resisted such exploration,
believing it had a subversive effect on Christian thought and morals. Among
those who denounced the study of the philosophical tradition of classical
antiquity was Manegold of Lautenbach. He aimed his fiery polemical tract, the
Liber contra Wolfelmum, at a master from Cologne who glorified the ancients
while siding with the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV (1056-1106), against Pope
Gregory VII (1073-1085) in the struggle known as the Investiture Controversy.
Manegold did not oppose logic and philosophy per se, but rather their use in
supporting a political program that questioned the authority of the pope and
undermined the unity of Christendom
