Delphine Conzelmann unpacks the rich interplay of authority, tradition, and innovation in the works of William of SaintThierry, Benedictine abbott and Cistercian monk, whose contributions to Christian history were long overshadowed by those of his contemporaries.
The volume seeks to reconcile seemingly contradictory aspects of this distinctive 12thcentury biography, revealing what intention unites his stark criticism of new dialectic methods, his enthusiastic embrace of monastic reform, and his quest for reclusion. Discover the spiritual depth and doctrinal genius of William of SaintThierry in this comprehensive study.
The open access publication of this book has been published with the support of the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Contents
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1 Williams Life and Work
2 State of Research
3 Main Question, Structure, and Methodology
Part 1
Williams Engagement with School Theology
Introduction to Part 1
1 The Use of Authority in Williams Lectio Divina of Romans
1 Exegesis of Romans in the Context of 12th-Century Education
2 Scripture in the 12th Century
3 The Monastic Practice of Lectio
4 Williams Self-Representation in the Praefatio
5 Reading (alongside) the Fathers
6 Reading as a Communal Endeavor
7 Humilitas and the Ideal Reader
8 Interim Conclusion
2 Authority as a Tool and Topic in Williams Conflicts
1 Reading Romans from Two Perspectives
2 Abelards Early Critics
3 Orthodoxy and Authority in Williams Disputatio
4 Bernards Involvement and the Council of Sens
Conclusion to Part 1
Part 2
Mapping Williams Exegetical Process: Receptivity and Originality in His
Reading of the Song of Songs
Introduction to Part 2
3 Bernard, Williams Guide through the Song
1 Emerging from His Shadow: The Problem with Bernard
2 Living the Song. Spiritual Friendship as a Foundation of Cistercian
Exegesis
3 The Brevis Commentatio
4 Williams Florilegia of Ambrose and Gregory
1 The Early Medieval Tradition of Anthologies
2 Williams Florilegia and Their Role in His Literary Corpus
2.1 Reading between the Lines: Ambrose as a Moral Authority
2.2 Restoring Gregorys Voice
5 Williams Own Expositio and Its Original Contribution
1 Origen as an (Il)legitimate Source
2 The Different Senses of Scripture
3 Know Thyself. Williams Spiritual Anthropology and His Understanding of
Image-Likeness
4 Love. An Intellectual Principle
5 The Breasts of God: Williams Sensual Spirituality
Conclusion to Part 2
Part 3
Williams Vision for Life in the Monastic Community
Introduction to Part 3
6 The Golden Epistle in the Context of Reform
1 A History of Misattribution
2 Two Perspectives on Reform
3 William as an Author for the Carthusian Movement
7 Williams Monastic Ideal
1 Innovation, Restoration, or Renewal?
2 The Monastic Life as Christian Ideal
3 Horizontal Authority and Loving Obedience
4 Concepts Applied: The Monks Image-Likeness
Conclusion to Part 3
Through the Lens of Prayer. Concluding Thoughts
Meditatio ii. The Possibility of Acquiring Knowledge of God
Meditatio iii. The Sensus Amoris
Meditatio vii. The Communal Authority of the Saints
Intertwining the Threads
Bibliography
Index
Delphine Conzelmann, Dr. theol (2022), University of Basel, is an independent theologian and church historian, as well as a journalist in Switzerland.
