ROSCELLINO di COMPIÈGNE. - Theologian and philosopher, born at Compiègne about the middle of the 11th century, died about 1120. A renowned teacher of dialectic, he was cited before the Council of Soissons (1092) for his tritheistic theory; by retracting the error he avoided condemnation. Having gone to England, he did not remain there long; he taught at Besançon and at Loches, Abelardo (v.) was his pupil.
Since Frisinga (v.), who says of him: «primus nostris temporibus sententiam vocum instituit» (Gesta Friderici Imp., I, 47; MGH, Scriptores, XX, p. 376), R. has been nominalism (v.); in nature only the individual exists (v.), and general ideas are merely names (voces, flatus vocis). Applying this theory to the mystery of the Trinity, R. lapsed into tritheism, which made him especially famous: in the Most Holy Trinity there are
three Persons and ab invicem separatae, sicut sunt tres Angeli, ita tamen ut una sit voluntat est potentia... et tres deos vere posse dici si usus admitteret: (to Anselmo, Ep. ad Fulconem: PL 158, 1192): since only individuals exist, the three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity would have in common only will and power: a moral-dynamic unity of the three Persons, in opposition to the consubstantiality defined at the Council of Nicaea (325).