bernard of clairvaux

On the one hand, he is called the "honey-tongued doctor" for his eloquent writings on the love of God. The order had been established in 1098 to restore Benedictine monasticism to a more primitive and austere state. NYC Pastors Take to the Streets to Combat NYC Gun Violence, Reading God’s Word like a Poem, Not an Instruction Manual. On loving God. O God, by whose grace thy servant Bernard of Clairvaux, Enkindled with the fire of thy love, became a burning and a shining light in thy Church: Grant that we also may be aflame with the spirit of love and discipline, and may ever walk before thee as children of light; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. St. Bernard of Clairvaux (Bernardus Clarœvallis) is one of the most prominent personalities of the twelfth century, of the entire Middle Ages, and of church history in general. by Saint Bernard of Clairvaux Editorial Notes This electronic edition of 'The Twelve Degrees of Humility and Pride' has been prepared from the 1929 translation by Barton R.V. My answer is that God himself is the reason he is to be loved.". III, 1878. At the same time, he warned Eugenius, "You have been entrusted with stewardship over the world, not given possession of it. "—Bernard of Clairvaux, quoted in The Crusades. Settings of text by Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard of Clairvaux on the Song of Songs III (Cistercian Fathers, No 31) by Bernard of Clairvaux , Kilian Walsh OCSO , et al. Death: August 21, 1153, Clairvaux, France The son of Tecelin, a knight and vassal of the Duke of Burgundy, Bernard of Clairvaux was educated at Chatillon. Saint Bernard, the founding abbot of Clairvaux Abbey in Burgundy, was one of the most commanding Church leaders in the first half of the twelfth century as well as one of the greatest spiritual masters of all times and the most powerful propagator of the Cistercian reform. BERNARD, ST, one of the most illustrious Christian teachers and representatives of monasticism in the Middle Ages, was born at Fontaines, near Dijon, in Burgundy, in 1091. Bernard of Clairvaux (Latin: Bernardus Claraevallensis; 1090 – 20 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was a Burgundian abbot, and a major leader in the revitalization of Benedictine monasticism through the nascent Order of Cistercians. Both his parents were models of virtue, but it was his mother who exerted the most influence on him (some speculate only second to what Monica had done for Augustine of Hippo). Bernard sought the counsel of the abbot of Cîteaux, St. Stephen Harding, and decided to enter this struggling small new community that had been established by St. Robert of Molesme in 1098 as an effort to restore Benedictinism to a more primitive and austere pattern of life. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercian monk and mystic, founder and abbot of the abbey of Clairvaux and one of the most influential churchmen of his time. Founder of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans), Founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), Bernard of Clairvaux, Medieval Reformer and Mystic, Calvin and the Legacy of Bernard of Clairvaux, The Life and Thought of Bernard of CIairvaux. To the venerable lord and most dear father Henry, Archbishop of Mainz, that he may find favor before God, from Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux. He was distinguished by his studious and meditative habits. Download PDF. St. Bernard of Clairvaux Seen through His Selected Letters, translated with an introduction by Bruno Scott James (1953), gives a vivid picture of the saint in his various moods. A Catholic priest and abbot (director) of a religious institution at Clairvaux, France, Bernard's influence stretched far beyond the borders of France. For Bernard was a mystic as well who experience God personally within his monastic cell and this mystic experience convince Bernard that love was the key to Christianity. 1. His involvement in public affairs led him into conflict with two of the most distinguished schoolmen of his day, namely with Peter Abelard (1079–1142) at the Council of Sens (1141) and Gilbert of Poitiers (1076–1154) at the Council of Reims (1148). Bernard of Clairvaux, by Georg Andreas Wasshuber (1650-1732), from a statue in Clairvaux believed to be an accurate likeness. Admit that God deserves to be loved very much, yea, boundlessly, because he … Born of Burgundian landowning aristocracy, Bernard grew up in a family of five brothers and one sister. By 1119 the Cistercians had a charter approved by Pope Calixtus II for nine abbeys under the primacy of the abbot of Cîteaux. Surely humility in furs is better than pride in tunics.". Bernard of Clairvaux A 12th Century Man for All Seasons The Life and Thought of Bernard of Clairvaux Bernard's life and teachings have a persistent appeal and timeless meaning and value. Sign Up For Our Newsletter He could claim a form of higher knowledge that is the complement and fruition of faith and that reaches completion in prayer and contemplation. This translation, all apparently available for use in the public domain, is by a translator not of the Catholic faith, and he During the absence of the Bishop of Langres, Bernard was blessed as abbot by William of Champeaux, Bishop of Châlons … Bernard of Clairvaux by Henri Daniel-Rops, 1964, Hawthorn Books edition, in English - [1st American ed.] Meanwhile, as Bernard’s health worsened, his spirituality deepened. ", At the same time, he showed his growing spiritual wisdom. He called the Parisian a "son of perdition" who "disdains and scoffs" the death of Christ: "I was made a sinner by deriving my being from Adam; I am made just by being washed in the blood of Christ and not by Christ's 'words and example.'". Mikkel Abildtoft. Because of Bernard's letter and political influence (Pope Innocent III owed his position, in part, to Bernard's public support), Abelard's teaching was condemned, and he was forced to retire to a monastery. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. At the same place he entered upon the studies of theology and Holy Scripture. Associate Professor of Education, University of Windsor, Ontario. Bernard's entry at Catholic Encyclopedia Four brothers, an uncle, two cousins, an architect, and two seasoned monks under the leadership of Bernard endured extreme deprivations for well over a decade before Clairvaux was self-sufficient. Born: 1090 Died: 20 August 1153 Biography Burgundian abbott, a leader in revival of Benedictine monasticism, successful arbiter in church controversies, and leader of church councils. In our opinion past researchers have generally failed to credit St Bernard with the pivotal role he played in the planning, formation and promotion of the infant Templar Order. Learn about the history of Clairvaux Abbey and the founding of the Cistercian Order. From The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 9th Edition, Vol. All chapters included. At age 22, he left home to join the Cistercian monastery, taking 31 companions with him—including four of his brothers and his uncle. They are characterized by repetition of references to the Church Fathers and by the use of analogues, etymologies, alliterations, and biblical symbols, and they are imbued with resonance and poetic genius. In 1139, he wrote a lengthy letter to the pope refuting Abelard. Overview of St. Bernard of Clairvaux's life. Within three years of joining the order, he was appointed abbot of the third Cistercian monastery, at Clairvaux. To the Lords and very dear Fathers, the Archbishops and Bishops, with the whole clergy and the faithful people of Eastern France and Bavaria: Bernard, called Abbot of Clairvaux, desires that they may abound in the spirit of strength. The world’s riches had no meaning for Bernard, as the world itself was merely a place of temporary banishment and trial, in which men are but "strangers and pilgrims" (Serm. Bernard had a high view of the papacy, and he called the pope "the unique vicar of Christ who presides over not a single people but over all." CTWeekly delivers the best content from ChristianityToday.com to your inbox each week. Bernard of Clairvaux. Bernard of Clairvaux was born into a noble family in Dijon, France in 1090. He wrote about love and he brought a theology of love into Christianity. Bernard Lives Today. Bernard de Fontaines is his original name where he resided in a small northern suburb outside Dijon, France where his home and church still exist. He was plagued most of his life by impaired health, which took the form of anemia, migraine, gastritis, hypertension, and an atrophied sense of taste. St. Bernard of Clairvaux trans. And today his writings still guide spiritual lives not only of the order he made famous, the Cistercians, but by men and women in all walks of life. Bernard is perhaps best known for his dispute with Peter Abelard, who was summoned to a synod at Sens, where some of Abelard’s teachings on the Trinity and the Redemption were condemned. Whether an ‘intention’ to create an Order of the […] Under pressure from his ecclesiastical superiors and his friends, notably the bishop and scholar William of Champeaux, he retired to a hut near the monastery and to the discipline of a quack physician. Updates? … There is no poison more dangerous for you, no sword more deadly, than the passion to rule." In 1146 he helped recruit for the Second Crusade through his preaching. A prolific writer of sermons, he was declared a doctor of the church in 1830. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Chapter I. Bernard had warm relationships with other reforming orders of his day, like the Carthusians and the Premonstratensians. A knight and vassal of the church in 1830 University of Windsor,.. 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