Editorial
For the Studien und Texte zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters (STGM) it is the most honorable task to publish the Festschrift for Kent Emery, Jr. in this very series. In 1997, Kent Emery accepted the invitation of the, at that time, director of the Thomas-Institut and general editor of the STGM Prof. Dr. Jan A. Aertsen to serve on the editorial board of our series. Since volume 61, Kent Emery generously gave his support, advice and judgement to the STGM for more than twenty years.
Kent Emery’s commitment was strongly motivated by the aim to share common intellectual ideas concerning the understanding of—quoting Paul Oskar Kristeller—the “history of philosophy in the widest possible sense”, regarding a Millenium which we are accustomed to call the Middle Ages. According to Joseph Koch, the founder of the Thomas-Institut and of the STGM, a better understanding of this era often classified as dark is not only confronted with the unfamiliarity with central medieval assumptions of the world, but also with the preconditions for education and learning at that time. For a proper understanding, we should have to study the trivium and the quadrivium again, as was common in the Middle Ages, and we should also read the ancient Arabic and Jewish authors in the same way as the philosophers and theologians at the medieval universities. However, the biggest obstacle to the implementation of such a project, despite the hundreds of years of research, is still the lack of adequate textual output. Most philosophical and theological literature of the Middle Ages has either not yet been printed or printing and expenditure are insufficient. But all too often inadequate interpretations are based on inadequate texts. Therefore, the STGM has always strongly fostered critical editions alongside detailed studies. I remember many occasions discussing these questions and the need for critical editions with Kent Emery, who himself worked and is still working on some of the most important editorial projects.
The present Festschrift for Kent Emery, Jr. can be considered a good example of what the Studien und Texte zur Geistesgeschichte des Mittelalters stand for: studies and texts. Every new research project, which is concerned with new problems, historical contexts and traditions, raises new questions, opens up new perspectives and makes our picture more complex. It has always been an exciting opportunity to share common ideas with Kent Emery and to be engaged in the liveliest discussions with my distinguished colleague, whom I have the privilege to also call my friend.
Andreas Speer