The Impact of the Second Crusade on the Angelology and Eschatology of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux

Bernard, abbot of Clairvaux, made a significant impact on twelfth‐century Europe and the church. As a result of the proliferation of Cistercian monasteries under his guidance, his numerous theological writings, and the miracles he performed, Bernard was canonised soon after his death. Conversely, there was no lack of criticism levied for his involvement in matters that some considered inappropriate. When Pope Eugenius III called the Second Crusade and requested that Bernard preach it, the infirm abbot could have justifiably declined but instead embarked upon the arduous task. However, he did so in the belief that this task, if successful, might propel humankind into the next age of time. After the crusade failed and as he neared death himself, Bernard's writings reflect a change from his previous assertions surrounding eschatology and the role of angels in the lives of the faithful. These alterations in Bernard's theology may also have encompassed a reaffirmation of his commitment to the contemplative life. It took the disaster of the Second Crusade to return him to his core convictions and ignore the arrogant speculations of those who claimed that they knew what Christ said they never would: the day or the hour.     

Bernard of Clairvaux,material and spiritual order,and the economy of salvation

ABSTRACT

This article explores themes connected to the spiritual and the material, especially in connection with order and economy, in the thought of the Cistercian abbot Bernard of Clairvaux (1090/1–1153). It argues that these themes are particularly useful to an analysis of Bernard’s articulation of the challenge of human existence in a fallen world, and the proper role of the Church, its leaders and members, in response to wider concerns for Christian salvation and the material circumstances of twelfth-century Europe. Three treatises provide case studies for this approach, contextualised with discussion of economy in the Christian tradition, and its implications more widely in Bernard’s writing.     

The Effects of Time,Restoration and Conservation Approaches on Twelfth-Century Cosmati Pavements

Abstract

This paper compares the current condition and appearance of Cosmati floors in six churches in Rome. Based on the assumption that all of the floors had a similar appearance when constructed, it is possible to see how the floors now reflect the original design and materials, the church environment, management decisions, restoration and conservation approaches. This illustrates the importance of considering all the significant features and possible outcomes of both a series of small interventions and major interventions. Many findings will also be applicable to other floors and mosaics.     

The Legacy of Bernard Narokobi and the Melanesian Way

ABSTRACT

This special issue on the life and legacy of Bernard Narokobi documents and contextualizes Narokobi's life and thought. A central figure in Papua New Guinea's transition from Australian territory to independent nation, Narokobi was a jurist, philosopher, and poet who is best remembered for making ‘the Melanesian Way’ an important theme – if not the guiding ideological principle – in the discourse of independence in Papua New Guinea. In looking closely at Narokobi's biography, the collection also contributes to a growing body of work on political life writing in the Pacific. The collection speaks to Narokobi's role as a theorist of Oceanic modernity more broadly, one who deserves a place alongside two other important philosophers of Pacific independence, Epeli Hau‘ofa and Jean-Marie Tjibaou, as one of the main visionaries of Pacific decolonization and Oceanic modernity of the post-war period.     

Expectation and unrest among Cistercian lay brothers in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries

This paper seeks to reposition the scholarly debate over the rebelliousness of Cistercian lay brothers by assessing a broad array of narrative, legislative, and contractual documents. For Cistercian writers, lay brothers embodied monastic principles of simplicity and dutifulness. Authors also portrayed disobedient or ambitious conversi to illustrate the dangers of inflated pride. At the same time, however, Cistercian literature presents numerous conversi who do not fit the stereotypes dear to the moralists. Contractual and legal sources confirm that lay brothers were not only simple labourers or insubordinate underlings. They also had directorial functions in their monasteries and were sometimes charged with important political missions. These activities brought them enhanced social status as well as a sense of privilege. Lay brothers rebelled not, as some scholars assert, because they were unscrupulous, or, as others claim, because they were systematically oppressed. They resisted when the expectation of reward generated by their successful management of monastic affairs was frustrated by the directives of their superiors.     

Transforming the landscape: Cistercian nuns and the environment in the medieval Low Countries

This article investigates the extent to which women’s monastic communities intervened in the natural landscape of the southern Low Countries in the Middle Ages, irrevocably transforming the environment in their efforts to support their communities. Focusing on the county of Flanders in particular, it contributes to an expanding historiography that traces the impact of human intervention on the natural world in the pre-modern period. Simultaneously, it offers a glimpse into a world where religious women worked alongside their male counterparts, challenging past notions about how gender shaped monasticism in the Middle Ages. While scholars have often noted the role of monastic communities in reclamation activities, this article makes a unique contribution by inserting Cistercian nuns into the narrative, ultimately producing a more inclusive and more accurate understanding of monastic experience in the Middle Ages.     

Bernard Groethuysen and the Human Conversation

Philosophie et Histoire. By Bernard Groethuysen. Edited with an Introduction by Bernard Dandois.