William of St-Thierry
Encyclopedia
William of St-Thierry was a theologian and mystic, and abbot of the monastery of Saint-Thierry
.
(in present Belgium) of a noble family between 1075 and 1080 and died at Signy
in 1148. William probably studied at the cathedral school in Reims (though some have argued at Laon) prior to his profession as a Benedictine
monk, together with his brother Simon, at the monastery of St. Nicaise, also in Reims
, sometime after 1111. From here both eventually became abbots of other Benedictine
abbeys: Simon of St. Nicolas-aux-Bois, in the Diocese of Laon, and William at St. Thierry on a hill overlooking Reims
in 1119.
In 1118 William met St. Bernard
, abbot of Clairvaux
, a Cistercian monastery, where they formed a close, intimate friendship that lasted for life. His greatest desire was to move to Clairvaux
and profess as a Cistercian, but his friend Bernard
disapproved of the plan and imposed on him the responsibility of remaining in charge of the abbey at St. Thierry as a Benedictine
. Their friendship, however, grew stronger while Bernard lay in the infirmary of Clairvaux convolescing from illness in 1125.
After having assisted in 1132 at the first General Chapter of the Benedictines held at Soissons
, where many Cistercian reforms were adopted by the Benedictines (in part through the influence of William), William, on account of long infirmities while all the more attracted to a life of contemplation, resigned his abbacy in 1135 and entered the newly established Cistercian abbey at Signy, also in the diocese of Reims. He did not venture to retire to Clairvaux lest his friend Bernard would refuse to accept his abdication. Here, amid almost constant suffering, he divided his free time between prayer, study, and writing. According to a contemporary, his death occurred in 1148 about the time of the council held at Reims under Pope Eugenius. The necrology of Signy dates it 8 September, a few years prior to his good friend Bernard's death in 1153.
and urged St. Bernard to act against him. As a result, Abelard was condemned by the Council of Sens in 1140 or 1141. William wrote against what he saw as errors in the writings of William of Conches
concerning trinitarian theology and also against Rupert of Deutz
on sacramental theology.
Besides his letters to St. Bernard
and others, William wrote several works, some of which he himself enumerates, though somewhat incorrectly. These include eighteen works of different genres but all within the traditional monastic literature of the day and all written in Latin. In chronological order, these include:
De contemplando Deo (On Contemplating God) in 1121-1124
De natura et dignitate amoris (On the Nature and Dignity of Love) around the same time
De sacramento altaris (On the Sacrament of the Altar) which is the earliest Cistercian text on sacramental theology and written in 1127
Commentarius in Canticum canticorum e scriptis S. Ambrosii (Commentary on the Song of Songs from the Writings of St. Ambrose) around 1128
Excerpta ex libris sancti Gregorii super Canticum canticorum (Excerpts from the Books of St. Gregory [the Great] over the Song of Songs) around the same year
Brevis commentatio in Canticum canticorum (Brief Comments on the Song of Songs) his first exposition of this biblical text in 1130
Responsio abbatum (Response of the Abbots) from the Chapter in 1132
Meditativae orationes (Meditations on Prayer) in 1137
Expositio super Epistolam ad Romanos (Exposition over the Letter to the Romans) in 1137
De natura corporis et animae (On the Nature of the Body and the Soul) around 1138
Expositio super Canticum canticorum (Exposition over the Song of Songs) his longer commentary in 1139
Disputatio adversus Petrum Abelardum (Disputation against Peter Abelard) as a letter to Bernard in 1140
Epistola de erroribus Guillelmi de Conchis (Letter on the Errors of William of Conches) also addressed to Bernard in 1141
Sententiae de fide (Thoughts on Faith) in 1142 which is now lost
Speculum fidei (Mirror of Faith) around 1142-1144
Aenigma fidei (Enigma of Faith) around the same time
Epistola ad fratres de Monte-Dei (Letter to the Brothers of Mont-Dieu, more often called The Golden Epistle) in 1144-1145
Vita prima Bernardi (First Life of Bernard) in 1147 which was later added to by other authors after Bernard’s death in 1153
Several of William's writings were quite popular even by the end of the 12th century, so much so that they were also frequently attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux
during the Middle Ages—a sign of their quality and also another reason for their continued popularity. William drew upon the existing and traditional monastic and theological authors of his day and significant authors of previous centuries, but not in a slavish way; rather he is creative and independent (in the best sense of the word) in his thought and exposition. His own commentaries show his remarkable insight while they also incorporate traditional authors such as Augustine of Hippo
and Origen of Alexandria. Perhaps his most influential works are those dealing with the spiritual life of the contemplative monk. From his Contemplating God to his Golden Epistle, one can see a progressive evolution of William's thought and a maturing of William's spiritual insight and experience, while also noticing an improved, more polished writing style and organization. Some scholars also argue that although William drew on texts and authors in the past, his creativity and usage of spiritual terminology was also influential on many other authors from the 12th century onward.
The Latin texts of most of William's writings are contained in J.-P. Migne's Patrologia Cursus Completus Series Latina (Patrologia Latina
) volume 180, with other works also in volumes 184 and 185. The bulk of William’s writings are available in English translation from Cistercian Publications http://www.cistercianpublications.org/ located in Kalamazoo along with the Institute for Cistercian Studies at Western Michigan University
.
Saint-Thierry
Saint-Thierry is a commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France.-References:*...
.
Biography
He was born at LiègeLiège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
(in present Belgium) of a noble family between 1075 and 1080 and died at Signy
Signy
Signy or Signe is the name of two heroines in two connected legends from Scandinavian mythology which were very popular in medieval Scandinavia. Both appear in the Völsunga saga, which was adapted into other works such as Wagner's Ring, including its famous opera The Valkyrie.The first Signe was...
in 1148. William probably studied at the cathedral school in Reims (though some have argued at Laon) prior to his profession as a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
monk, together with his brother Simon, at the monastery of St. Nicaise, also in Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
, sometime after 1111. From here both eventually became abbots of other Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
abbeys: Simon of St. Nicolas-aux-Bois, in the Diocese of Laon, and William at St. Thierry on a hill overlooking Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
in 1119.
In 1118 William met St. Bernard
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
, abbot of Clairvaux
Clairvaux
Clairvaux can mean the following:*Clairvaux, a former commune in France, now part of Ville-sous-la-Ferté. It is the home of**Clairvaux Abbey in France**Clairvaux Prison, France, on the site of the abbey*Saint Bernard of Clairvaux...
, a Cistercian monastery, where they formed a close, intimate friendship that lasted for life. His greatest desire was to move to Clairvaux
Clairvaux
Clairvaux can mean the following:*Clairvaux, a former commune in France, now part of Ville-sous-la-Ferté. It is the home of**Clairvaux Abbey in France**Clairvaux Prison, France, on the site of the abbey*Saint Bernard of Clairvaux...
and profess as a Cistercian, but his friend Bernard
Bernard
The masculine given name Bernard is of Germanic origin.The meaning of the name is from a Germanic compound Bern-hard meaning "bear-hardy", or "brave as a bear". Bern- is the old form of bear from West Germanic *beran-....
disapproved of the plan and imposed on him the responsibility of remaining in charge of the abbey at St. Thierry as a Benedictine
Benedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
. Their friendship, however, grew stronger while Bernard lay in the infirmary of Clairvaux convolescing from illness in 1125.
After having assisted in 1132 at the first General Chapter of the Benedictines held at Soissons
Soissons
Soissons is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France, located on the Aisne River, about northeast of Paris. It is one of the most ancient towns of France, and is probably the ancient capital of the Suessiones...
, where many Cistercian reforms were adopted by the Benedictines (in part through the influence of William), William, on account of long infirmities while all the more attracted to a life of contemplation, resigned his abbacy in 1135 and entered the newly established Cistercian abbey at Signy, also in the diocese of Reims. He did not venture to retire to Clairvaux lest his friend Bernard would refuse to accept his abdication. Here, amid almost constant suffering, he divided his free time between prayer, study, and writing. According to a contemporary, his death occurred in 1148 about the time of the council held at Reims under Pope Eugenius. The necrology of Signy dates it 8 September, a few years prior to his good friend Bernard's death in 1153.
Writings
William alerted others to the potential errors of Peter AbelardPeter Abelard
Peter Abelard was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, theologian and preeminent logician. The story of his affair with and love for Héloïse has become legendary...
and urged St. Bernard to act against him. As a result, Abelard was condemned by the Council of Sens in 1140 or 1141. William wrote against what he saw as errors in the writings of William of Conches
William of Conches
William of Conches was a French scholastic philosopher who sought to expand the bounds of Christian humanism by studying secular works of the classics and fostering empirical science. He was a prominent member of the School of Chartres...
concerning trinitarian theology and also against Rupert of Deutz
Rupert of Deutz
Rupert of Deutz was an influential Benedictine theologian, exegete and writer on liturgical and musical topics.He was from Liège, and late in life became abbot of Deutz Abbey...
on sacramental theology.
Besides his letters to St. Bernard
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
and others, William wrote several works, some of which he himself enumerates, though somewhat incorrectly. These include eighteen works of different genres but all within the traditional monastic literature of the day and all written in Latin. In chronological order, these include:
De contemplando Deo (On Contemplating God) in 1121-1124
De natura et dignitate amoris (On the Nature and Dignity of Love) around the same time
De sacramento altaris (On the Sacrament of the Altar) which is the earliest Cistercian text on sacramental theology and written in 1127
Commentarius in Canticum canticorum e scriptis S. Ambrosii (Commentary on the Song of Songs from the Writings of St. Ambrose) around 1128
Excerpta ex libris sancti Gregorii super Canticum canticorum (Excerpts from the Books of St. Gregory [the Great] over the Song of Songs) around the same year
Brevis commentatio in Canticum canticorum (Brief Comments on the Song of Songs) his first exposition of this biblical text in 1130
Responsio abbatum (Response of the Abbots) from the Chapter in 1132
Meditativae orationes (Meditations on Prayer) in 1137
Expositio super Epistolam ad Romanos (Exposition over the Letter to the Romans) in 1137
De natura corporis et animae (On the Nature of the Body and the Soul) around 1138
Expositio super Canticum canticorum (Exposition over the Song of Songs) his longer commentary in 1139
Disputatio adversus Petrum Abelardum (Disputation against Peter Abelard) as a letter to Bernard in 1140
Epistola de erroribus Guillelmi de Conchis (Letter on the Errors of William of Conches) also addressed to Bernard in 1141
Sententiae de fide (Thoughts on Faith) in 1142 which is now lost
Speculum fidei (Mirror of Faith) around 1142-1144
Aenigma fidei (Enigma of Faith) around the same time
Epistola ad fratres de Monte-Dei (Letter to the Brothers of Mont-Dieu, more often called The Golden Epistle) in 1144-1145
Vita prima Bernardi (First Life of Bernard) in 1147 which was later added to by other authors after Bernard’s death in 1153
Several of William's writings were quite popular even by the end of the 12th century, so much so that they were also frequently attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, O.Cist was a French abbot and the primary builder of the reforming Cistercian order.After the death of his mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order. Three years later, he was sent to found a new abbey at an isolated clearing in a glen known as the Val...
during the Middle Ages—a sign of their quality and also another reason for their continued popularity. William drew upon the existing and traditional monastic and theological authors of his day and significant authors of previous centuries, but not in a slavish way; rather he is creative and independent (in the best sense of the word) in his thought and exposition. His own commentaries show his remarkable insight while they also incorporate traditional authors such as Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
and Origen of Alexandria. Perhaps his most influential works are those dealing with the spiritual life of the contemplative monk. From his Contemplating God to his Golden Epistle, one can see a progressive evolution of William's thought and a maturing of William's spiritual insight and experience, while also noticing an improved, more polished writing style and organization. Some scholars also argue that although William drew on texts and authors in the past, his creativity and usage of spiritual terminology was also influential on many other authors from the 12th century onward.
The Latin texts of most of William's writings are contained in J.-P. Migne's Patrologia Cursus Completus Series Latina (Patrologia Latina
Patrologia Latina
The Patrologia Latina is an enormous collection of the writings of the Church Fathers and other ecclesiastical writers published by Jacques-Paul Migne between 1844 and 1855, with indices published between 1862 and 1865....
) volume 180, with other works also in volumes 184 and 185. The bulk of William’s writings are available in English translation from Cistercian Publications http://www.cistercianpublications.org/ located in Kalamazoo along with the Institute for Cistercian Studies at Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University
Western Michigan University is a public university located in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. The university was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo, and as of the Fall 2010 semester, its enrollment is 25,045....
.