Summa de penitencia

John of Kent’s Summa de penitencia, composed shortly after the Lateran Council of 1215, is a manual for confessors that taught them the laws of the Church and trained them to exercise proper judgment (arbitrium) when administering the sacrament of confession. In confession a penitent was required to detail every mortal sin to his own priest (proprius sacerdos). To judge the penitent well, a confessor needed to know the laws and doctrines of the Church as well as the circumstances of the penitent’s sins. The confessor could then determine whether to grant absolution and, if so, assign a just and salutary penance. The theological and canonical knowledge a confessor needed was contained in lengthy, expensive scholastic texts. These tomes were often too long or too specialized for use by priests directly involved in the care of souls (cura animarum). John of Kent’s Summa provides an excellent example of the popularization of scholastic literature so that it could be employed by any literate priest.

The Summa contains three books. The first two are technical, addressing various points of canon law and theology. These books focus on providing summaries and explanations, but they also engage in current theological and canonical debates, contributing new solutions or observations. This is done ad libitum rather than systematically, as John of Kent took pleasure in addressing certain issues, such as the laws concerning usury and simony, more than others. The third book of the Summa is a fictional dialogue between priest and penitent which teaches the reader how to pastorally apply the material of the first two books. To a fictional penitent who thinks he is free of anger, the confessor poses gentle questions that help him gradually realize his sin and how to overcome it. To another man, convinced the woman with whom he lives is not his true wife, the confessor explains the available options of recourse. To a knight who plundered a town during an unjust battle, the confessor explains what he must do to make restitution. In all three books of the Summa, John of Kent is eager to resolve particular situations (casus) which a confessor might encounter.

The Summa survives in five manuscripts, scattered about England and France. I have critically edited the Latin text and composed an English translation, currently under review for publication.