In The Shadow of Scotus, Professor Broadie explores the concept of faith and the significance of the relation of the faithful to God, looking in particular at the philosophical and theological thought of pre-Reformation Scotland at the time of the founding of the University of Aberdeen. Much of the thinking of that time followed in the footsteps of the ‘presiding genius’ of Scottish philosophy, John Duns Scotus. One key feature of Scotus’s approach (and of those following in his shadow) was the understanding of ‘faith as a space for philosophy’. Philosophy was not a form of entertainment, but rather related directly to ‘pastoral concerns regarding the salvation of souls’. Broadie maps the territory of the debates between the philosophers and theologians of the era, exploring the powers of intellect and will in their unified function, the role of faith, its nature and reasonableness, and satisfies Lord Gifford’s requirement for an important historical analysis of the relationship between God and man.

KEY WORDS: Scotus, Mair, Pre-Reformation thought, Faith, Intellect, Will, Mind, Omniscience, Freedom, Assent