Bernard of Clairvaux emerges from these studies as a vibrant, challenging and illuminating representative of the monastic culture of the twelfth century. In taking on Peter Abelard and the new scholasticism he helped define the very world he opposed and thus contributed to the renaissance of the twelfth century.
Presents the Order's figureheads, practical life and spiritual horizon, and its contribution to medieval Europe's religious, cultural and political climate.
This classic translation of the correspondence of Bernard is reprinted with a new introduction which takes into account the wealth of scholarship which has appeared in the last forty years. Professor Kienzle discusses the translation of medieval and monastic letter-writing and provides a new chronology and select bibliography. First published in 1953, James' translation set the standard for readability, accuracy, and verve; 'it is difficult to see how his translation can be improved' 'David N. Bell
In this intimate portrait of one of the Middle Ages' most consequential men, Brian Patrick McGuire delves into the life of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux to offer a refreshing interpretation that finds within this grand historical figure a deeply spiritual human being who longed for the reflective quietude of the monastery even as he helped shape the destiny of a church and a continent. Heresy and crusade, politics and papacies, theology and disputation shaped this astonishing man's life, and McGuire presents it all in a deeply informed and clear-eyed biography. Following Bernard from his birth in 1090 to his death in 1153 at the abbey he had founded four decades earlier, Bernard of Clairvaux reveals a life teeming with momentous events and spiritual contemplation, from Bernard's central roles in the first great medieval reformation of the Church and the Second Crusade, which he came to regret, to the crafting of his books, sermons, and letters. We see what brought Bernard to monastic life and how he founded Clairvaux Abbey, established a network of Cistercian monasteries across Europe, and helped his brethren monks and abbots in heresy trials, affairs of state, and the papal schism of the 1130s. By reevaluating Bernard's life and legacy through his own words and those of the people closest to him, McGuire reveals how this often-challenging saint saw himself and conveyed his convictions to others. Above all, this fascinating biography depicts Saint Bernard of Clairvaux as a man guided by Christian revelation and open to the achievements of the human spirit.
A survey of the history of one of the most important biblical texts in the history of Christian spirituality while exploring original pathways for research.
A Companion to Medieval Christian Humanism explores the perennial questions of Christian humanism as these emerge in the writings of key medieval thinkers, questions pertaining to the dignity of the human person, the human person’s place in the cosmos, and the moral and educational ideals involved in shaping human persons toward the full realization of their dignity. The contributors explore what form these questions take for medieval thinkers and how they answer these questions, thereby revealing the depth of medieval Christian humanism. Contributors are: C. Colt Anderson, David Appleby, John P. Bequette, Benjamin Brown, Richard H. Bulzacchelli, Nancy Enright, David P. Fleischacker, Justin Jackson, Ian Levy, J. Stephen Russell, Aage Rydstrøm-Poulsen, Andrew Salzmann, John T. Slotemaker, Benjamin Smith, and Eileen C. Sweeney
The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Christian Mysticism brings together a team of leading international scholars to explore the origins, evolution, and contemporary debates relating to Christian mystics, texts, and the movements they inspired. Provides a comprehensive and engaging account of Christian mysticism, from its origins right up to the present day Draws on the best of current scholarship by bringing together a collection of newly-commissioned readings by leading scholars Considers examples of mysticism in both Eastern and Western Christianity Offers a brilliant synthesis of the key figures and historical periods of mysticism; its core themes, such as heresy, gender, or aesthetics; and its theoretical considerations, including theological, literary, social scientific, and philosophical approaches Features chapters on current debates such as neuroscience and mystical experience, and inter-religious dialogue
This book is the fascinating account of a family that took seriously the challenge to follow Christ… and to overtake Him. With warmth and realism, Venerable Tescelin, Blesseds Alice, Guy, Gerard, Humbeline, Andrew, Bartholomew, Nivard and St. Bernard step off these pages with the engaging naturalness that attracts imitation. Here is a book that makes centuries disappear, as each member of this unique family becomes an inspiration in our own quest of overtaking Christ. One of the Biggest figures in this book is Bernard of Clairvaux. He was called the man of his age, the voice of his century. His influence towered above that of his contemporaries, and his sanctity moved God Himself. Men flocked to him¬—some in wonder, others in curiosity, but all drawn by the magnetism of his spiritual giant hood. Bernard —who or what fashioned him to be suitable for his role of counseling Popes, healing schisms, battling errors and filling the world with holy religious and profound spiritual doctrine? Undoubtedly, Bernard is the product of God's grace. But it is hard to say whether this grace is more evident in Bernard himself or in the extraordinary family in which God chose to situate this dynamic personality.
A Legacy of Preaching, Two-Volume Set--Apostles to the Present Day explores the history and development of preaching through a biographical and theological examination of its most important preachers. Instead of teaching the history of preaching from the perspective of movements and eras, each contributor tells the story of a particular preacher in history, allowing these preachers from the past to come alive and instruct us through their lives, theologies, and methods of preaching. Each chapter introduces readers to a key figure in the history of preaching, followed by an analysis of the theological views that shaped their preaching, their methodology of sermon preparation and delivery, and an appraisal of the significant contributions they have made to the history of preaching. This diverse collection of familiar and lesser-known individuals provides a detailed and fascinating look at what it has meant to communicate the gospel over the past two thousand years. By looking at how the gospel has been communicated over time and across different cultures, pastors, scholars, and homiletics students can enrich their own understanding and practice of preaching for application today. Volume One covers the period from the apostles to the Puritans and profiles thirty preachers including: Origen of Alexandria by Stephen O. Presley John Chrysostom by Paul A. Hartog Augustine of Hippo by Edward L. Smither Gregory the Great by W. Brian Shelton Bernard of Clairvaux by Elizabeth Hoare Francis of Assisi by Timothy D. Holder Saint Bonaventure by G. R. Evans Meister Eckhart by Daniel Farca? John Huss by Mark A. Howell Martin Luther by Robert Kolb John Calvin by Anthony N. S. Lane Jonathan Edwards by Gerald R. McDermott John Wesley by Michael Pasquarello III George Whitefield by Bill Curtis and Timothy McKnight and many more Volume Two covers the period from the Enlightenment to the present day and profiles thirty-one preachers including: Catherine Booth by Roger J. Green Charles Haddon Spurgeon by Thomas J. Nettles Henry Ward Beecher by Michael Duduit John Albert Broadus by Hershael W. York D. L. Moody by Gregg L. Quiggle Billy Sunday by Kristopher K. Barnett Karl Barth by William H. Willimon Dietrich Bonhoeffer by Keith W. Clements D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones by Carl Trueman John Stott by Greg R. Scharf Harry Emerson Fosdick by Dwayne Milioni Aimee Semple McPherson by Aaron Friesen Gardner C. Taylor by Alfonza W. Fulwood and Robert Smith Jr. Billy Graham by John N. Akers Martin Luther King Jr. by Alfonza W. Fulwood, Dennis R. McDonald, and Anil Sook Deo J. I. Packer by Leland Ryken and Benjamin Hernández and many more