My thesis is an examination of Abelard's construction of himself as a Christian philosopher. A critical part of this question is how Abelard finds in the Patristic theologian Origen a model for his idea of a Christian philosopher. In the Introduction I provide a summary and analysis of previous scholarship on two questions. Firstly, I give a survey of how Origen functions as a model for Abelard's identity. Secondly, I consider the relationships between monastery and cathedral on the subject of philosophy. Chapter 1 provides an overview of the etymology of philosophus in Abelardian thought. I posit that in the Soliloquium and Theologia Christiana Abelard constructs the philosopher as a model for monastic expressions of ethica, r, contemptus mundi and disciplina morum. Chapter 2 examines how Abelard's use of philosophical examples, including Origen, as models for a monastic identity, was problematic and led to conflict. In Chapter 3 I assert that Abelard uses the etymology of philosophus attributed to Heloise in the Historia Calamitatum, in order to highlight his conversion from a worldly philosopher to a Christian philosopher (monk). The model for Abelard's Christian philosopher is Origen. Chapter 4 sets out the trajectory of Origen in Abelardian thought, from Origen as a heterodox theologian to Origen as a model for Abelard's integration of the secular arts into theology in the Historia Calamitatum. Chapter 5 examines how Fulk of Deuil and Roscelin of Cornpieqne refer to Abelard's castration in order to question his monastic identity, while Cha-pter 6 details Abelard's use of Origen to counter such criticisms. Abelard appropriates Origen's castration to show that in his role as a spiritual director to a female monastic community, he is above suspicion of lust. In the Conclusion I assert that Abelard embodies in the person of Origen his monastic reading of philosophus.

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Neo-Thomism misread Aquinas by trying to find in him answers to questions posed by Descartes and Kant, producing a theology that people like Chauvet rightly abandoned. This thesis, on the other hand, proposes a decidedly pre-modern reading of Thomas. It begins with two basic structures of Thomas' thought - a threefold notion of truth (so that truth is ontological as well as epistemological), and an understanding of exitus-reditus that shows its links to “archaic” concepts such as the hau of the Maori. Then it considers human life in terms of merit and thus “economy,” (exchange of valuables); but this economy is a gift economy, and here we consider the gift in the light of Seneca (whom Thomas took as an authority) and Mauss, as well as using Allard's insights into how debt, particularly debt to God, generates what in Thomas takes the place of the Cartesian subject. In this light grace is seen as the spirit of the gift with which God graces us, giving rise to gratitude. We then consider Christ as graced and gracing us, first of all by our configuration to him in the sacraments (using the analogy of clothes), followed by a conformation in grace. We look at this in baptism and penance, but then we take the Eucharist as a three-fold sign, and show how it generates in us faith, hope and love. The unity of the sacrament as a gift is emphasised, and the cases of its division, such as fiction, the votum sacramenti, and circumcision are examined. As a Jew, Derrida gives insight into grace before the coming of Christ and the value of the sacrifice of Abraham, and in this way we can see how Thomas circumvents Derrida's critique of the gift. Finally we compare Thomas with Chauvet.