De sacramentis Christianae fidei

De sacramentis Christianae fidei (The Sacraments of the Christian Faith) is a significant work of scholastic theology by Hugh of Saint-Victor. Written around 1133, it explored the sacraments of the Christian faith and anticipated some of the theological approaches later developed by St. Thomas Aquinas.1

Hugh of Saint-Victor, an Augustinian canon at Saint-Victor Abbey in Paris, was a prominent theologian of the 12th century. His work blended the practical teachings of St. Augustine with the theoretical writings of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite. He is also known for his comprehensive encyclopedia, the Didascalicon.1

In Christian theology, the number of sacraments was generally settled at seven by the 12th century, including baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, penance, holy orders, matrimony, and extreme unction. These were affirmed by the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodoxy, though Protestant reformers accepted fewer.2