Editing Paschasius Radbertus (section)

==Writings==

===''De Corpore et Sanguine Domini''===
The most well-known and influential work of Paschasius, ''De Corpore et Sanguine Domini'' (written between 831 and 833), is an exposition on the nature of the [[Eucharist]]. It was originally written as an instructional manual for the monks under his care at Corbie, and is the first lengthy treatise on the sacrament of the Eucharist in the Western world.<ref>Zirkel, pg. 5</ref> In it, Paschasius agrees with [[Ambrose]] in affirming that the Eucharist contains the true, historical body of Jesus Christ. According to Paschasius, God is truth itself, and therefore, his words and actions must be true.  Christ's proclamation at the [[Last Supper]] that the bread and wine were his body and blood must be taken literally, since God is truth.<ref>Chazelle, pg. 9</ref>  He thus believes that the [[transubstantiation]] of the bread and wine offered in the Eucharist really occurs.  Only if the Eucharist is the actual body and blood of Christ can a Christian know it is salvific.<ref>Chazelle, pg. 10</ref>

Paschasius believed that the presence of the historical blood and body of Christ allows the partaker a real union with Jesus in a direct, personal, and physical union by joining a person's flesh with Christ's and Christ's flesh with his.<ref>Chazelle, pg. 10-11</ref>  To Paschasius, the Eucharist's transformation into the flesh and blood of Christ is possible [[Divine simplicity|because of the principle that God is truth]];  God is able to manipulate nature, as he created it.<ref>Chazelle, pg. 12</ref> The book was given to [[Charles the Bald]], the Frankish king, as a present in 844, with the inclusion of a special introduction. The view Paschasius expressed in this work was met with some hostility; [[Ratramnus]] wrote a rebuttal by the same name, by order of Charles the Bald, who did not agree with some of the views Paschasius held.  Ratramnus believed that the Eucharist was strictly metaphorical; he focused more on the relationship between faith and the newly emerging science. Shortly thereafter, a third monk joined the debate, [[Rabanus Maurus]], which initiated the Carolingian Eucharist Controversy.<ref>Chazelle, pg. 1</ref> Ultimately, however, the king accepted Paschasius' assertion, and the [[Real presence of Christ in the Eucharist|substantial presence of Christ in the Eucharist]] became the authoritative belief in the Catholic faith.<ref>Zirkel, pg. 3</ref>

{| class="toccolours" style="float: right; margin-right: 1em; margin-right: 2em; font-size: 85%; background:#C0C0C0; color:black; width:30em; max-width: 40%;" cellspacing="5" 
| style="text-align: left;" | "When I begin to think about [Adalard], I am inwardly affected by two contrary emotions, namely, grief, and joy.  The Apostle forbids us to mourn in such a situation, but my and our sudden desolation prevents us from rejoicing."
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | Paschasius Radbertus, ''Vita Adalhardi''
|}

===''Vitae Adalhardi et Walae''===
Written in 826 and 836, respectively, ''Vita Adalhardi'' and ''Vita Walae'' are spiritual biographies of Paschasius' role-models.  They are personal tributes, written for the memory of two fathers, and the patterns of life depicted in them are intended to be followed.<ref>Cabaniss, pg. 14</ref>

''Vita Adalhardi'' is rather brief; it is a fairly conventional representation of a saint's life. However, the style that Paschasius uses is unique for the time in which it was written. Written in mourning for the loss of his friend, Paschasius compares Adalard to the painter [[Zeuxis (painter)|Zeuxis]]. As described by [[Cicero]], artists study models to perfect their art; Zeuxis' challenge was to paint the woman, [[Helen of Troy]].  Paschasius states that just as Zeuxis studied forms in order to perfect his art, so too does Adalard in trying to reform the image of God in himself. In making this comparison, Paschasius was identified with being a [[humanistic]] writer of the Carolingian period, as he compared classic and ancient literature with contemporary literature.<ref>Appleby, pg. 1-2</ref> Paschasius depicts Adalard as a mirror image of Christ, emphasizing the elements of infinite love and descent into suffering.<ref>Appleby, pg. 7</ref>  He also parallels Adalard's role in the church to that of a mother, which is a concept attributed to [[Cistercian]] spirituality in the 12th century, three hundred years after Paschasius' death.  The grief felt over the death of Adalard is extremely strong in the book – although Paschasius knows that suffering should give way to joy, as depicted by his forefathers, such as [[Jerome]], Paschasius' grief for the loss of his friend surpassed that of his literary models.  This style of writing is also not seen elsewhere prior to the 12th century.  Paschasius' justification of excess mourning is his most distinctive contribution to the tradition of consolation literature.<ref>Appleby, pg. 8-9</ref>

''Vita Walae'' is much longer (about twice as long as ''Vita Adalhardi''), and is structured as a dialogue. In total, there are eight characters represented, presumably monks of Corbie.  These characters are given pseudonyms, probably nor with the intention of masking identities. It is more likely that these pseudonyms were employed to further support Paschasius' interpretation of Wala, as the names were taken from classical texts.<ref>Cabaniss, pg. 20</ref> Phrases and passages from a variety of sources are woven into the text ([[Acts of St. Sebastien]], [[The Book of Job]], various comedies of [[Terence]]). Although not displaying information about Wala, these additions reflect Paschasius' own beliefs and his skill at writing.<ref>Cabaniss, pg. 15</ref>  While ''Vita Adalhardi'' was written to be in part a funeral eulogy, ''Vita Walae'' was  written as a (fairly) accurate depiction of Wala.  Paschasius used sources in writing this biography, a handbook written by Wala, and treatises of the time, probably to show his own views through his depiction of Wala.<ref>Cabaniss, pg. 16</ref>

===Other works===
Paschasius has an extensive collection of works, including many [[exegeses]] on various books of the [[Bible]].  He wrote commentaries on the [[Gospel of Matthew]], [[Book of Lamentations|Lamentations]], and an exposition of [[Psalm 45]], which he dedicated to the nuns at St. Mary at Soissons.  ''De Partu Virginis'', written for his friend Emma, Abbess of St. Mary at Soissons and daughter of Theodrara, describes the lifestyle of nuns.  He also wrote a treatise, titled ''De Nativitae Sanctae Mariae'', regarding the nature of the [[Virgin Mary]] and the birth of [[Jesus Christ]]. Paschasius probably wrote much more, but none of it has survived through the centuries.<ref>Cabaniss, pg. 3</ref> Paschasius wrote a commentary on ''Revelation''.<ref>Brant James Pitre, Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary (p. 62).</ref>