Prayer and Thought in Monastic Tradition : Essays in Honour of Benedicta Ward, SLG

Prayer and Thought in Monastic Tradition presents a chronological picture of the development of monastic thought and prayer from the early English Church (Bede, Adomnan) through to the 17th Century and William Law's religious community at King's Cliffe. Essays interact with different facets of monastic life, assessing the development and contribution of figures such as Boniface, the Venerable Bede, Anselm of Canterbury and Bernard of Clairvaux. The varying modes and outputs of the monastic life of prayer are considered, with focus on the use of different literary techniques in the creation of monastic documents, the interaction between monks and the laity, the creation of prayers and the purpose and structure of prayer in different contexts. The volume also discusses the nature of translation of classic monastic works, and the difficulties the translator faces. The highly distinguished contributors include; G.R. Evans, Sarah Foot, Henry Mayr-Harting, Brian McGuire, Henry Wansbrough and Rowan Williams. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents List of Illustrations Notes on Contributors Introduction 1 Rethinking the History of Monasticism East and West: A Modest tour d’horizon Ex Aegypto lux? Asceticism and monasticism in Syria, Mesopotamia and Cappadocia The city a desert Benedict, Gregory the Great and Monte Cassino The ‘Second Benedict’ and the new monastic normal Conclusion 2 Not by Bread Alone: St Brendan Meets Paul, the Irish Spiritual Hermit (Navigatio Sancti Brendani, Chapter xxvi) 3 Theology and the Paschal Controversy: Bede’s Case Against the British Church 4 Bede’s View of the Place of the Eucharist in Anglo-Saxon Life: The Evidence of the Historia Ecclesiastica gentis Anglorum A historiographical gap Praying for Bede Eucharist and sacerdotal identity The value of ‘altars’ The Eucharist and intercession pro uiuis Those ‘who sleep in the sleep of peace’ The Eucharist as uiaticum Purity and gender Conclusion 5 Women, Prayer and Preaching in the Early English Church Bede On Habakkuk Female religious houses in early Anglo-Saxon England Bede and the educated woman Boniface and the educated woman Women, prayer and preaching in the early English Church 6 Praying the Psalter in Carolingian Times: What Was Supposed to Be Going on in the Minds of Monks? 7 ‘The Brother Who May Wish to Pray by Himself’: Sense of Self in Carolingian Prayers of Private Devotion 8 St Boniface, Monk and Missioner Curriculum vitae Chronological outline 1 Beginnings 2 Boniface the bishop, archbishop and papal legate 3 The final stage Vynfreth, scholar and grammarian Problems facing Bonif 1 Missioners in a foreign land 2 Survivals of paganism 3 Boniface and the Frankish bishops 4 Boniface’s denunciations 5 Personal friendships Conclusion 9 Turning the World Upside-Down: St Peter Damian’s Theology of the Spiritual Life 10 John of Fécamp and Anselm of Bec: A New Language of Prayer Who was John of Fé camp? Anselm’s prayer to Jesus John of Fé camp versus Anselm of Bec 11 ‘Minds Wandering’ and ‘Monastic Stability’ in the Early Monastic Letters of Anselm of Bec An ‘art’ of monastic letter-writing? Opportunities to send letters: Carriers Recipients of Anselm’s monastic correspondence and questions of stability Loving forgiveness of errant monks Th e inner circle and the understandingson which monks left Bec and stayed away The inner circle and the understandingson which monks left Bec and stayed away Putting up with separation: Endurance will be rewarded with meeting in heaven Conclusion 12 ‘Between Dialectic and the Sacred Scripture: Anselm of Canterbury and the Bible’ 13 Miracles and the Crusading Mind: Monastic Meditations on Jerusalem’s Conquest 14 Reading Saints Lives, in the Light of Miracle Stories in John of Forde’s Life of Wulfric of Haselbury Witnessing to truth William FitzWalter and the cutting of the hauberk: The incredible story Brother William the hospitaller: Friend and intermediary Henry of Waverley: The prophetic gifts The healing of Drogo de Munci: A many-authored tale Dialogue and truth Conclusion 15 The Eye of Reason – The Eye of Love: ‘Divine Learning and Affective Prayer’ in the Thought of William of Saint Thierry 16 Concerning Academic Translation and the Latin of Conrad of Eberbach The form and function of academic translation The possibilities for collaborative translation 17 ‘Desire for the Eternal Country’ : The Laity and the Wider World of Monastic Prayer in Medieval England 18 Universities: Friend or Foe? 19 Late Medieval Mysticism: Visionary Writing as a Mode of Thought 20 John Wesley and William Law: The Founding of Two Contrasting Religious Communities in the Eighteenth Century William Law and his religious community Wesley’s religious community Three characteristics of the two religious communities The right use of money Care of the poor Singing Conclusion 21 The Beloved: The Messianic Figure of the Song of Songs The description of the beloved 5. 10-16 Biblical, apocalyptic and pseudepigraphical links The early jewish mystical literature The Beloved resurfaces The author of the Song of Songs The Odes of Solomon The despatch of the beloved 22 Benedicta Ward, SLG, in a Few Words: Nun, Scholar, Teacher Select Bibliography of Works by Sr Benedicta Ward, SLG, MA, DPhil Index of Modern Authors General Index Rethinking the history of monasticism East and West : a modest tour d'horizon -- Columba Stewart, OSB Not by bread alone : St Brendan meets Paul, the Irish spiritual hermit (Navigatio Sancti Brendani, chapter xxvi) -- Éamonn Ó Carragáin Theology and the paschal controversy : Bede's case against the British church -- Rowan Williams Bede's view of the place of the Eucharist in Anglo-Saxon life : the evidence of the Historia Ecclestica gentis Anglorum -- Thomas O'Loughlin Women, prayer and preaching in the early English church -- Sarah Foot Praying the psalter in Carolingian times : what was supposed to be going on in the minds of monks? -- Henry Mayr-Harting 'The brother who may wish to pray by himself' : sense of self in Carolingian prayers of private devotion -- Renie Choy St Boniface, monk and missioner -- Henry Wansbrough, OSB Turning the world upside-down : St Peter Damian's theology of the spiritual life -- Gordon Mursell John of Fécamp and Anselm of Bec : a new language of prayer -- Brian Patrick McGuire 'Minds wandering' and 'monastic stability' in the early monastic letters of Anselm of Bec -- G.R. Evans -- 'Between dialectic and the sacred Scipture : Anselm of Canterbury and the Bible' / -- Giles E.M. Gasper Miracles and the crusading mind : monastic meditations on Jerusalem's conquest -- Jay Rubenstein Reading saints lives, in the light of miracle stories in John of Forde's Life of of Wulfric of Haselbury -- Pauline Matarasso The eye of reason, the eye of love : 'divine learning and affective prayer' in the thought of William of Saint Thierrry -- E. Rozanne Elder Concerning academic translation and the Latin of Conrad of Eberbach -- Paul Savage 'Desire for the eternal country' : the laity and the wider world of monastic prayer in medieval England -- Brian Golding Universities : friend or foe? -- Alexander Murray Late medieval mysticism : visionary writing as a mode of thought -- Santha Bhattacharji John Wesley and William Law : the founding of two contrasting religious communities in the eighteenth century -- Ralph Waller The beloved : the messianic figure of the Song of Songs -- Edmée Kingsmill, SLG Benedicta Ward, SLG, in a few words : nun, scholar, teacher -- Dominic Mattos.