The Interplay among Alchemy, Theology and Philosophy in the Late Middle Ages: The Cases of Roger Bacon and John of Rupescissa

• Rinotas, Athanasios ^[1]
  1. [1] KU Leuven

     KU Leuven

     Arrondissement Leuven, Bélgica

     
• Localización: Vegueta: Anuario de la Facultad de Geografía e Historia, ISSN 1133-598X, Nº. 17, 2017
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • During the Late Middle Ages, alchemy attracted the interest of many eminent scholars, yet alchemy’s constant failure to produce the philosopher’s stone veiled the art with a cloak of scorn. In this article, I examine the cases of Roger Bacon and of John of Rupescissa, both of whom entwined alchemy with philosophy and theology, portraying the hermetic art as a salutary practice for humanity and the Church. Therefore, my scrutiny of their works aims to demonstrate alchemy’s desire, albeit somewhat implicit, for recognition and legitimization.