Stephen of Tournay

Stephen Of Tournay, born in 1135 at Orleans, France, abbot of the convent of St. Everte at Orleans, and afterwards of St. Genevieve at Paris, was subsequently made bishop of Tournay; and died in 1203. He was very learned in canon law, but rather narrow in both theological and philosophical studies. While he complained of the confusion existing with respect to science, of the ambition of scholars and their fondness for disputing on matters pertaining to the faith, he was yet unable to discover any remedy for the evils he deplored save the intervention of the papal authority. He hoped that in this way greater uniformity of theological instruction might be secured, and that bounds might thus be set to the independence of the teachers. His principal work appears to have been a Summa de Decretis, only the preface of which is known. Two discourses and several letters from his pen are extant, which possess some importance as sources for the history of his time. The best edition is that of Molinet (Paris, 1679, 8vo).