Bill:
Glad to be of help in any way I can. Just two additional points:
1. I agree, from a pedagogical perspective, with placing Cassian
and Cassiodorus under Benedict or Bede, since they are further
pointers to the *content* of monastic culture. My only hesitation
would be that it continues to reinforce the 'institutional confidence'
of the history of benedictine monasticism, ie it is the culmination of
medieval monasticism because it was somehow inevitable. That
can betray the incredible fluidity of monastic practice in the Middle
Ages, but that may be a point that your students need not worry
about at their level.
2. Benard 'no great shakes as an intellectual'! Wow. just
remember, everybody, The Elastic teacher said it, not me. :-) I do
see your point . I used to think that Bernard's main problem is that
he didn't get enough bran in his diet, but I have come to revise my
thinking. In fact, I use his text, De dilegendo Deo to show my
students that medieval affective theology is not about committing
intellectual suicide, but instead requires a careful account of the
world and humanity in theological terms. Moreover, Bernie was a
fine rhetorician, and I take this term to mean someone who opens
up the truth (as opposed to the modern pejorative use, which is
about obscuring the truth--I'll leave the term, truth, undefined...).
Still, it is no reason to render him as a pater ecclesiae.
Enjoy the course preparation. Your students will be in fine hands,
and I hope there will be lots of students!
Cheers
Jim
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Dr James R Ginther
Dept. of Theology and Religious Studies
University of Leeds
Leeds LS2 9JT UK
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
Phone: +44.113.233.6749
Fax: +44.113.233.3654
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http://www.leeds.ac.uk/trs/ (Theology and Religious Studies, Leeds)
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/cms/ (Centre for Medieval Studies, Leeds)
http://www.grosseteste.com (The Electronic Grosseteste)
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"First up ther wor nobbut God. An 'e said, "Ee, lad, turn th'bloody
light on." -Yorkshire paraphase of Gen. 1.2
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