Duns Scotus - The Subtle Doctor
“…one of the most influential philosophers of the medieval world, yet almost forgotten in his homeland of the Scottish Borders.”
An evening with historian Mary W. Craig exploring the life of Duns Scotus, a philosopher whose ideas shaped medieval Europe.
Mary reveals that despite being one of the most extraordinary figures the Scottish Borders has ever produced, he is almost forgotten here.
Born in Duns around 1266, John Duns Scotus became one of the most influential philosophers of the medieval world. He was a Franciscan friar whose thinking on free will, the nature of being, and the relationship between faith and reason shaped European thought for centuries. Known as the Subtle Doctor - Doctor Subtilis, he held such challenging ideas that those who couldn't follow his reasoning were dismissed as "dunces" - a word that comes directly from his name.
Join us as Mary questions what it says about the Borders that it produced a mind like this?
Mary W. Craig is a writer and historian with a particular interest in the women and men accused as witches in 17th century Scotland. She co-hosts a podcast, Border Bletherings, which explores the curious, shadowy and magical history of the Scottish Borders.
This event is held in community owned Bedrule Church and is brought to you by Maiden Mother Crone CIC. Read more about Maiden Mother Crone.
_____________________________________
ReMembering the Borderlands: Duns Scotus
Time: 7:00-8.30pm, Wednesday 26th April, 2026 [doors at 6.30]
Cost: Pay what you can
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/remembering-the-borderlands-duns-scotus-the-subtle-doctor
_____________________________________
Come to all four talks in this series:
ReMembering the Borderlands is a monthly series held by Maiden, Mother Crone CIC , at Bedrule Church between April and July 2026.
Four figures from the Scottish Borders will be explored: Philosopher, Prophet, Wizard, Saint.
29 April — Duns Scotus: The Subtle Doctor
27 May — Merlin: The Wild Man of the Woods
24 June — Michael Scott: The Wizard of the Eildons
29 July — St Cuthbert: From the Tweed to the Edge of the World
Each evening is a gathering — not a lecture. A talk by Mary W Craig, followed by community sharing and open conversation.
If you have stories, memories, local knowledge, or family connections to the figure being discussed, this is the space to share them.