In the history ofcanon law, adecretist was a student and interpreter of theDecretum Gratiani. LikeGratian, the decretists sought to provide "a harmony of discordant canons" (concordia discordantium canonum), and they worked towards this throughglosses (glossae) andsummaries (summae) on Gratian.[1] They are contrasted with thedecretalists, whose work primarily focused on papaldecretals.
Early decretists of the Italian school includePaucapalea, a possible pupil of Gratian's;Rufinus, who wrote theSumma Decretorum; andHuguccio, who wrote theSumma Super Decreta, the most extensive decretist work.[1] There was also a French school of decretists starting withStephen of Tournai.[2]