Alger of Liège (1055–1131), known also as Alger of Cluny and Algerus Magister, was a learned

clergyman Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

and canonist from Liège, author of several notable works. Alger was first

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

and

scholaster A scholaster, from the Latin ''scholasticus'' (schoolmaster), or magister scholarum, was the head of an ecclesiastical school, typically a cathedral school, monastic school, or the school of a collegiate church, in medieval and early-modern Europe ...

of church of St Bartholomew in his native Liège and was then appointed () as a canon in St. Lambert's Cathedral. Moreover, he acted as the personal secretary of bishop Otbert from 1103.F.P.C. De Jong, "A Comparative Study of Schoolmasters in Eleventh Century Normandy and the Southern Low Countries", Ph.D. thesis, 2018 He declined offers from German bishops and finally retired to the monastery of

Cluny Cluny () is a commune in the eastern French department of Saône-et-Loire, in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. It is northwest of Mâcon. The town grew up around the Benedictine Abbey of Cluny, founded by Duke William I of Aquitaine in ...

after 1121, where he died at a high age, leaving behind a solid reputation for piety and intelligence. This cites: *

Migne Jacques Paul Migne (; 25 October 1800 – 24 October 1875) was a French priest who published inexpensive and widely distributed editions of theological works, encyclopedias, and the texts of the Church Fathers, with the goal of providing a ...

, '' Patrol Ser. Lat.'' vol. clxxx. pp. 739–972 * Herzog-Hauck, ''Realencyk. für prot. Theol.'', art, by S. M. Deutsch. He played a leading role in the trial of

Rupert of Deutz Rupert of Deutz ( la, Rupertus Tuitiensis; c. 1075/1080 – c. 1129) was an influential Benedictine theologian, exegete and writer on liturgical and musical topics. Life Rupert was most likely born in or around Liège in the years 1075-108 ...

in 1116. His ''History of the Church of Liège'', and many of his other works, are lost. The most important remaining are: #''De Misericordia et Justitia'' (On Mercy and Justice), a collection of biblical extracts and sayings of Church Fathers with commentary (an important work for the history of church law and discipline), which is to be found in the ''Anecdota'' of Martène, vol. v. #''De Sacramentis Corporis et Sanguinis Domini''; a treatise, in three books, against the

Berengar Berengar is a masculine name derived from Germanic roots meaning "bear" and "spear". The name appears frequently among certain noble families during the Middle Ages, especially the Unruochings and those related. Bérenger is the French form, while ...

ian heresy, highly commended by

Peter of Cluny Peter the Venerable ( – 25 December 1156), also known as Peter of Montboissier, was the abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Cluny. He has been honored as a saint, though he was never canonized Canonization is the declaration of a decea ...

and

Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' w ...

. In this book, he also took on Rupert of Deutz' views on the Eucharist and predestination. #''De Gratia et Libero Arbitrio''; given in Bernard Pez's ''Anecdota'', vol. iv. #''De Sacrificio Missae''; given in the ''Collectio Scriptor. Vet.'' of

Angelo Mai Angelo Mai (''Latin'' Angelus Maius; 7 March 17828 September 1854) was an Italian Cardinal and philologist. He won a European reputation for publishing for the first time a series of previously unknown ancient texts. These he was able to discov ...

, vol. ix. p. 371. #''De dignitate ecclesie Leodiensis'', which established the reciprocal obligations of the primary and secondary churches; inserted in the Liber officiorum ecclesie Leodiensis (1323).J.L.Kupper "Liège et l'église impériale XIe-XIIe siècles",1981. Pp. 329-330 A biography was written by Nicholas of Liège: De Algero veterum testimonia.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Alger of Liege 12th-century Roman Catholic priests 1055 births 1131 deaths 11th-century Roman Catholic priests Prince-Bishopric of Liège clergy Clergy from Liège