New Configurations (1050-1150) - New Forms of Learning and Religious Expression - Monastic Splendor and Poverty

4 important questions on New Configurations (1050-1150) - New Forms of Learning and Religious Expression - Monastic Splendor and Poverty

Of what is Cluny an example? What was Cluny itself?

  • There was "old-fashioned" Benedictine houses that continued to prosper - Cluny was a good example of that.
  • Filled with many monks, model for numerous other monasteries both near and far, leader of an "order" of houses that were expected to coordinate their way of life with that of the "mother house," Cluny itself was a miniature city enclosed in walls.
  • Under Abbot Hugh (1049-1109) its church was the largest in Christendom.

What was the perspective of some medieval people about the religious life at the end of the eleventh century?

At the end of the eleventh century, the new commercial economy and the profit motive that fueled it led many to reject wealth and to embrace poverty as a key element of the religious life.

What did the Carthusian order represent? What did they do?

  • The Carthusian order, founded by Bruno of Cologne (d.1101), represented the poor religious life. Each monk took a vow of silence and lived as a hermit in his own small hut. Only occasionally would the monks join for prayer in a common oratory.
  • When not engaged in prayer or meditation, the Carthusians copied manuscripts: in their view, scribal work was a way to preach God's word with the hands rather than the mouth.
  • Slowly the Carthusian order grew, but each monastery was limited to only twelve monks, the number of Christ's apostles.
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What was the goal of the lifestyle of the Cistercians?

  • The lifestyle of the Cistercians was governed by the goal of simplicity. All their churches were dedicated to one saint, Mary, the mother of God and model of perfect love.
  • All of their liturgy was simplified, eliminating the many additions that had been tacked on to the daily prayers of monks at Cluny, where the whole day was spent chanting and celebrating Masses.
  • Only one daily Mass, only the prayers in the Rule: that was the Cistercian ideal.

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