Blurring the Boundaries: Monastic Values and Lay Conduct in the Anti-heretical Writings of Bernard of Clairvaux

Abstract

Bernard of Clairvaux’s anti-heretical writings is a unique opportunity to follow, as historiography has shown, how he could construct fast between orthodoxy and heterodoxy. Moreover, this polemic is a moment of conflict that allows us to explore Bernard’s complex approaches towards laity, as it reveals a tension in the way that he envisioned the proper societal order. In his accusations against heretics monastic values, such as humility and obedience, play a central role. Having this as a point of departure, this study discusses their role by juxtaposing Bernard’s polemic with his other works, in order to investigate how these monastic values could be imposed on non monastic audiences through Bernard’s anti-heretical writings. The overall aim is to explore how Bernard of Clairvaux could re-negotiate the boundaries and blur the lines between laity and clergy, while he fought against heresy

Keywords

• bernard of clairvaux
• anti-heretical polemic
• humility
• obedience
• monasticization