The humanism in the thought and in the spirituality of saint Bernard of Clairvaux: The fundamental attitude discovered in cistercian mystics and cistercian art
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15633/pch.15202Keywords:
medieval humanism, Bernard of Clairvaux, cistercians, cistercians spirituality, cistercian art, human nature, human bodyAbstract
This paper is dedicated to humanism in the thought, spirituality and teaching of Saint Bernard. Bernard’s way of thinking and his spiritual, interior life were the object of study by many scholars. However, only a few concentrated their research on his humanism. The background of humanism is the concept of human nature. Evidently, Bernard discovered the nature of man in three stages. In the beginning, human nature is noble and splendid among God’s creatures because it is created on the image and likeness of God. Then it became a fallen creature because he lost his likeness. However, a man could recover the splendid nature — image and likeness thanks to Christ — by renovation and reformation. Consequently, his nature could be fulfilled. It is a rather mystical experience of human nature. In this background, Bernard built the pedagogical concept of restoration and reformation of human person, which consists of three levels of formation. First, it is recognition of himself, which brings humility and experience of truth. The second level is consideration and contemplation, which makes it possible to discover the invisible God. The third level is the love of God and love on neighbor, which guide to communion with God. this process of formation and education of man in the monastic milieu (environment) is the humanism of Bernard. Consequently, the process of renovation concludes in the humanity of Christ and his corporeality. The work of redemption presumes his suffering and his death. Therefore, Christ’s body and human body were pictured in the Cistercian book painting.
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