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Following his traumatic castration, both Abelard and Heloise take religious vows and enter a monastery and a convent, respectively.

These convoluted conflicts incite Fulbert and his kinsmen to castrate Abelard. In an attempt to make amends, the two secretly marry, but this results in new conflicts with Heloise’s guardian, Fulbert. We learn about his early life, his love of learning, his scholarly career, and his seduction of Heloise. The letters begin with an autobiography written by Abelard in 1132 C.E., in which he details his misfortunes up to the age of 44. Clanchy discusses some of the contemporary scholarly debates on Abelard and Heloise, some new and innovative approaches to the book, and potential new sources that add to our understanding of the lovers. We glean that Heloise and Abelard were products, and sometimes victims, of social and church politics in Paris and France at-large, and that both contributed to the volatile intellectual flowering, both secular and religious, during this time.

Both place Heloise and Abelard in their historical context of 12th-century France and Christian Europe. The book begins with two introductions, one written in 1974, by Betty Radice, the translator and original editor, and the other written in 2003 by M.T.

Though we still know very little about Abelard and Heloise, this book allows us to place them in their historical context and gives us a glimpse into their hearts and minds. The book ends with hymns composed by Abelard and a brief scholarly discussion of a new source which may reveal more about the lovers’ early relationship. This last set of letters includes Abelard’s final confession to Heloise and the correspondence between her and Peter the Venerable, Abelard’s protector. The book combines introductions by two medieval scholars who specialize in Abelard and Heloise one autobiographical letter written by Abelard, which details his misfortunes four personal letters and three professional letters exchanged by Abelard and Heloise and letters following Abelard’s condemnation for heresy in 1141 C.E.