Ivo of Chartres’s Quare Deus Natus et Passus Sit

Around the turn of the twelfth century, Bishop Ivo of Chartres (c. 1040-1115) wrote the sermon-tract Quare deus natus et passus sit in which he outlined the process of human redemption. Although widely circulated in the twelfth century, this important text has been little studied. Here it is situated within the context of high-medieval penance. It is argued that Ivo was specifically concerned to impress the importance of contrition in Quare deus natus et passus sit by providing an outline of the redemptive process that emphasised God’s ‘medicinal mercy’ whilst delineating human knowledge of that process for priestly audiences.