Abelard wasn't just Heloise's suitor; he was also one of the most notable philosophers of his day. But as anybody who has tried to slog through his theological arguments can attest, they no longer raise many eyebrows. Theories that got him condemned for heresy in his own century -- about the relative power of each member of the Trinity -- are not what nail us to our seats today. Try as an admirable scholar like Mews might to render these disputes colorful -- and try as Abelard himself did to formulate them for posterity -- "what will survive" of Abelard, to borrow Philip Larkin's line, "is love.