Letters of Heloise and Abelard

Bonnie Wheeler teaches at Southern Methodist University, USA where she directs the Medieval Studies Program. She has edited and co-edited fourteen books, among them "Heloise and the Paraclete" (with Mary Martin McLaughlin). She is the series editor for "The New Middle Ages,"the executive editor of "Arthuriana" and President of the Council of Editors of Learned Journals.

"Heloise and Abelard have been extraordinarily well served by this latest translation of their celebrated correspondence. Every aspect of the book is exemplary, from its comprehensive and unobtrusive annotations, to its enthralling introduction. But the greatest strength of the book is perhaps to undo a lot of the posthumous myth-making surrounding the couple, as its brisk and supple translation allows them to speak openly in their own terms. Thus Heloise clearly emerges with all her fierce passion and fiercer intelligence, while Abelard presents a personality as contradictory as his philosophy, being by turns nostalgic and repentant, combative and humble, caustic and self-pitying. Nonetheless the edition does not restrict itself to these voices alone, but expands their dialogue into a full-blown symposium, including a generous selection of related letters by both hostile and sympathetic parties, such as Peter the Venerable and Bernard of Clairvaux. In sum, this edition is an astonishing scholarly achievement, and will no doubt stand as the authoritative edition for some decades to come." - Ben Parsons, Teaching Fellow in English, University of Leicester, UK

• Introductory Essay PART I: THE CORRESPONENCE OF HELOISE AND ABELARD Abelard's Letter of Consolation to a Friend: A Story of Calamities Heloise to Abelard Abelard to Heloise Heloise to Abelard Abelard to Heloise Heloise to Abelard Abealrd to Heloise: The Origin of Nuns Abelard to Heloise: A Rule for Nuns Abelard to Heloise : 'On Studies' Abelard's Last Letter to Heloise: A Profession of Faith PART II: HELOISE'S QUESTIONS (PROBLEMATA HELOISSAE) Forty-Two Questions Posed by Heloise and Answered by Abelard PART III: OTHER RELATED LETTERS Abelard to Bernard of Clairvaux Abelard to His Comrades Bernard of Clairvaux to Cardinal Ivo Bernard of Clarivaux to Pope Innocent II Peter the Venerable to Pope Innocent II Peter the Venerable to Heloise Heloise to Peter the Venerable Peter the Venerable to Heloise