The Fourteenth and Fifteenth Centuries

The chapter presents the major historical, ecclesiastical, theological, and philosophical developments of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries that provided the context for the emergence of Polish apologetic thought. Particular attention is given to the Great Western Schism, the Councils of Constance and Basel, and the rise of conciliarism as one of the most important currents of late medieval ecclesiology. The chapter also discusses transformations within scholastic theology associated with John Duns Scotus and William of Ockham, the spread of nominalism and the via moderna, and new forms of Christian spirituality. The growing importance of universities and the establishment of the Faculty of Theology in Kraków are highlighted as crucial factors enabling Polish theologians to participate in major European debates. The chapter thus reconstructs the intellectual and ecclesial environment in which late medieval Polish theology developed.