Pierre Ab?lard? was a French scholar, philosopher and theologian. He was born in Pallet, near Nantes, and studied under Roscelin and William of Champeaux in Paris. Having scored some success over the latter in debate, he was obliged to leave Paris? and subsequently opened a school of his own, and finally became head of the school at St. Genevi?re. ? ? ? Ab?lard next went to Laon where he attended the theological lectures of St.Anselm. He returned to Paris and was made the Canon of Notre-Dame in 1115 and set up another school . He then had the misfortune to fall in love with H?loise, the niece of Canon Fulbert. The lovers soon conceived a son, after which the pair were secretly married. When the marriage became known,? Canon Fulbert had H?loise sent to a convent at Argenteuil, and took his revenge on Ab?lard by having the scholar attacked and castrated by a band of ruffians.? ? ? Ab?lard recovered and became a monk at St. Denis. H?loise took the veil at Argenteuil.? ? ? In 1120 Ab?lard was persuaded to open a theological school at Maisoncelle. Here he wrote his work Introduction to Theology which soon aroused a great deal of? suspicions of unorthodoxy.A provincial synod in 1121 condemned his teachings, and ordered that his work be burned, and confined him to the Abbey of St. Medard.? ? ? Eventually released fro his confinement he returned to St Denis, only to further infuriate the community by denying that the Monastery had been founded by Denis of Areopagite. Ab?lard withdrew to the countryside near Nugent-sur-Seine and founded a oratory. Soon students were flocking to him in thousands, and so gratifying was this that Ab?lard had the chapel ( the famous Paraclete) rebuilt in stone as a reward for the support shown by his friends.? ? ? But Ab?lard still had many bitter and relentless enemies, who forced him, once again, to move on. The next ten years was spent as the Superior of the monastery at St.Gildas de Rhuys in Brittany. It was here that he would be reunited with? H?loise, whom he established as the head of a new convent built at the now deserted Paraclete? ? ? After leaving St. Gildas, Ab?lard continued with his writing (the most important being his Historia Calamitatum) and was often in communication with H?loise. His theological writings were , however, denounced by St. Bernard of Clairvaux at the council of Sens in 1141. Ab?lard decided to make an appeal to the pope (Innocent II?), but the council still condemned his works and the Holy See confirmed the council's decision.? ? ? Ab?lard? set off to plead his case before the pope in person, but when he reached Cluny he was taken ill. Taken in by abbot Peter the Venerable, his suffering soon increased and he was moved to the priory of St. Marcel near Ch?lonpsur-Sa?ne where he died.? ? ?H?loise lived until 1164 and was finally buried by Ab?lard's side.