Editing Ratramnus (section)

==Other works==
In another show of support for Gottschalk, Ratramnus composed a short collection of [[patristic]] texts in favor of Gottschalk’s [[Trinity|Trinitarian]] formulation of ''trina deitas''<ref>Giulio D’Onofrio, ed., ''History of Theology II: The Middle Ages'' (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2008), 80.</ref> against [[Hincmar of Rheims]]’ proposed ''summa deitas''.<ref>McCracken, ''Early Medieval Theology'', 110.</ref>

Ratramnus also wrote a ''Letter on the Dog-headed Creatures''.<ref>Ratramnus, ''Epist. de cynocephalis ad Rimbertum presbyterum scripta'', PL 121:1153-6; Dutton, "Ratramnus and the Dog-headed Humans"</ref> This was in response to a question from [[Rimbert]], then working as a [[missionary]] in Scandinavia, who asked whether the [[Cynocephaly|cynocephali]] believed to live nearby were human, because if they were Rimbert would be expected to attempt to convert them. Ratramnus argued that because Rimbert’s sources described the cynocephali as living in villages and engaging in agriculture and crafts, they must be rational and therefore human.<ref>McCracken, ''Early Medieval Theology'', 110; Steel, ''How to Make a Human'', 145-50</ref>

Ratramnus wrote another treatise, ''The Birth of Christ'',<ref>PL 121:81-102</ref> possibly as a response to Paschasius’ ''De Partu Virginis''.<ref>McCracken, ''Early Medieval Theology'', 109.</ref> In this work, Ratramnus defended the idea that [[Birth of Christ|Christ’s birth]] from the [[Virgin Mary]] occurred in the natural human way, so as to not detract from Christ’s real human nature.<ref>D’Onofrio, ''History of Theology II: The Middle Ages'', 80.</ref>

Ratramnus wrote two treatises on the soul, upholding traditional [[Augustine|Augustinian]] psychology.<ref>Ginther, ''Westminster Handbook'', 156.</ref> The first, ''On the Soul'', was written against someone named Macarius Scotus,<ref>[[A. Wilmart]], “L’opuscule inedité de Ratramne sur la nature de l’âme” ''Revue Bénédictine'' 43 (1931): 207-223.</ref> and the second, ''The Book on the Soul'', addressed to bishop [[Odo I of Beauvais]], challenged an idea raised by an anonymous monk of [[Saint-Germer-de-Fly Abbey|Fly Abbey]] – that all human beings participate in a universal soul. In ''The Book on the Soul'', Ratramnus argued that a soul cannot be universal, only individual.<ref>D’Onofrio, ''History of Theology II: The Middle Ages'', 81.</ref>

On a whole, Ratramnus’ works have been described by medieval scholar [[Giulio D'Onofrio]] as marked by a careful methodological clarity and consistency possibly modeled on [[Boethius]]’ ''Answer to Eutyches''.<ref>D’Onofrio, ''History of Theology II: The Middle Ages'', 79.</ref>