Adam Marsh (Adam de Marisco; c. 120018 November 1259) was an English

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

, scholar and

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

. Marsh became, after

Robert Grosseteste Robert Grosseteste, ', ', or ') or the gallicised Robert Grosstête ( ; la, Robertus Grossetesta or '). Also known as Robert of Lincoln ( la, Robertus Lincolniensis, ', &c.) or Rupert of Lincoln ( la, Rubertus Lincolniensis, &c.). ( ; la, Robe ...

, "...the most eminent master of England."

Biography

He was born about 1200 in the diocese of Bath, and educated at

Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the Un ...

(

Greyfriars Greyfriars, Grayfriars or Gray Friars is a term for Franciscan Order of Friars Minor, in particular, the Conventual Franciscans. The term often refers to buildings or districts formerly associated with the order. Former Friaries * Greyfriars, Be ...

) under the famous Robert Grosseteste. Before 1226 Marsh received the

benefice A benefice () or living is a reward received in exchange for services rendered and as a retainer for future services. The Roman Empire used the Latin term as a benefit to an individual from the Empire for services rendered. Its use was adopted by ...

of Wearmouth from his uncle, Richard Marsh, Bishop of Durham; but around 1230 he entered the Franciscan order.Knowles, David. ''The Religious Orders in England'', Chapter XVIII, "The Early English Franciscan Scholastics", Cambridge University Press, 1979
/ref> at the friary in Worcester. About 1238 he became lector at the Franciscan house at Oxford, and within a few years was regarded by the English province of that order as an intellectual and spiritual leader. Roger Bacon, his pupil, speaks highly of his attainments in

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

and mathematics. According to Salimbene, in the 1240s, Marsh attended the lectures of Humilis of Milan on the Book of Isaiah and the Gospel of Mark. A lector named Stephen, in turn, used Marsh's Oxford ''lectione'' on Genesis, in his assignments. Marsh was a close acquaintance and correspondent of French theologian Thomas Gallus. His fame, however, rests upon the influence which he exercised over the statesmen of his day. As Bishop of Lincoln, Grosseteste relied on his friend's opinion regarding ecclesiastical appointments in the diocese, since "Marsh knew everybody". Consulted as a spiritual director by Simon de Montfort, the countess of Leicester and the queen, as an expert lawyer and theologian by the

primate Primates are a diverse order (biology), order of mammals. They are divided into the Strepsirrhini, strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the Haplorhini, haplorhines, which include the Tarsiiformes, tarsiers and ...

, Boniface of Savoy, he did much to guide the policy both of the opposition and of the court party in all matters affecting the interests of the Church. He shrank from office, and never became provincial minister of the English Franciscans, though constantly charged with responsible commissions. Henry III and Archbishop Boniface unsuccessfully endeavoured to secure for him the see of

Ely Ely or ELY may refer to: Places Ireland * Éile, a medieval kingdom commonly anglicised Ely * Ely Place, Dublin, a street United Kingdom * Ely, Cambridgeshire, a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, England ** Ely Cathedral ** Ely Rural District, a ...

in 1256. In 1257 Marsh's health was failing, and he died 18 November 1259. To judge from his correspondence he took no interest in secular politics. He sympathized with Montfort as with a friend of the Church and an unjustly treated man; but on the eve of the baronial revolution he was on friendly terms with the king. Faithful to the traditions of his order, he made it his ambition to be a mediator. He rebuked both parties in the state for their shortcomings, but he did not break with either.

Works

None of Adam's theological works survive. His only extant writings are a collection of over 200 of his letters compiled by fellow Franciscans after his death. This collection shows the wide range of his correspondents, including Robert Grosseteste (whose own collection also includes several letters to Adam), William of Nottingham (minister provincial of England), Simon de Montfort and his wife

Eleanor Eleanor () is a feminine given name, originally from an Old French adaptation of the Old Provençal name ''Aliénor''. It is the name of a number of women of royalty and nobility in western Europe during the High Middle Ages. The name was introd ...

Bonaventure Bonaventure ( ; it, Bonaventura ; la, Bonaventura de Balneoregio; 1221 – 15 July 1274), born Giovanni di Fidanza, was an Italian Catholic Franciscan, bishop, cardinal, scholastic theologian and philosopher. The seventh Minister G ...

, and Henry III's wife Queen Eleanor. His letters, written in highly stylized Latin according to the rules of the ''

ars dictaminis ''A''rs dictaminis (or ''ars dictandi'') refers to the art of letter-writing. The art of letter-writing often intersects with the art of rhetoric. History of Letter-Writing Greco-Roman Theory Early examples of letter-writing theory can be ...

,'' often served to advance his theological vision, particularly with regard to the pastoral work of the Church and his urgent sense of its need for correction and reform. His letters also frequently respond to requests for spiritual counsel, offering both exhortation and admonition.

Notes

References

* Adam Marsh (2006–2010). ''The Letters of Adam Marsh.'' Lawrence, C. H. (ed.). 2 vols. Oxford: Oxford University Press. * *Lawrence, C. H. (2018). "Adam Marsh at Oxford". In Robson, Michael and Zutshi, P. N. R. (eds.), ''The Franciscan Order in the Medieval English Province and Beyond.'' Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press. pp. 159–80. {{DEFAULTSORT:Marsh, Adam 1200 births 1259 deaths English Franciscans Alumni of Greyfriars, Oxford English theologians Medieval English mathematicians 13th-century English mathematicians