Chapter LXXIII: Introduction

After the five books devoted to the seven liberal arts there follow three which are grouped together by unity of subject and are sharply differentiated from the remainder of the _Etymologies_, which is prevailingly secular in tone. The contents of these three form a summary of the non-secular thought of the time.[310] Their presence in the midst of an encyclopedia of secular learning is to be explained, as we have seen, by the probability that their purpose was educational, and that they are to be regarded as the texts of the final stage in the priestly training. They thus form the conclusion of Isidore’s educational encyclopedia.[311]

[310] The sources of bks. vi-viii differ from those of the
remaining books of the _Etymologies_ in being almost exclusively
Christian. Isidore himself, in his non-secular writings, covers
more fully the subjects which he here treats in a summary
fashion. Compare bk. vi, chaps. 1 and 2, with _Proemia in
Libros Veteris ac Novi Testamenti_; bk. vii, chaps. 6 and 7,
with _Expositiones Mysticorum Sacramentorum_ and _De Ortu et
Obitu Patrum_; bk. viii, chaps. 1–5, with _Sententiarum Libri
Tres_; bk. vi, chap. 19, and bk. vii, chaps. 12, 13, with _De
Ecclesiasticis Officiis_.

[311] See pp. 43, 86.

ANALYSIS

I. The books and services of the Church (Book VI).
1. The Old and New Testaments (ch. 1).
2. The writers and names of the holy books (ch. 2).
3. Books (chs. 3–14).
a. Libraries.
b. Translators.
c. Writers of many books.
d. Kinds of books.
e. Writing materials.
4. The canons of the Gospels (ch. 15).
5. The canons of the Councils (ch. 16).
6. The Easter cycle and other feasts (ch. 17).
7. The services of the Church (ch. 18).
II. God, the angels and the orders of the faithful (Book VII).
1. God (ch. 1).
2. The Son of God (ch. 2).
3. The Holy Spirit (ch. 3).
4. The Trinity (ch. 4).
5. The angels (ch. 5).
6. The meaning of biblical names (chs. 6–10).
7. Martyrs (ch. 11).
8. The clergy (ch. 12).
9. Monks (ch. 13).
10. The remainder of the faithful (ch. 14).
III. The Church and the different sects (Book VIII).
1. The Church and the synagogue (ch. 1).
2. Religion and faith (ch. 2).
3. Heresy (chs. 3–5).
a. The heresies of the Jews.
b. The heresies of the Christians.
4. Heathen philosophers (ch. 6).
5. Poets (ch. 7).
6. Sibyls (ch. 8).
7. Magi (ch. 9).
8. Pagans (ch. 10).
9. Heathen gods (ch. 11).