William of Saint-Thierry, O. Cist (French: Guillaume de Saint-Thierry; Latin: Guillelmus S. Theodorici; 1075/80/85–1148) was a twelfth-century Benedictine, theologian and mystic from Liège who became abbot of Saint-Thierry in France, and later joined the Cistercian Order.
William was born at Liège (in present-day Belgium) of a noble family between 1075 and 1080 (or 1085[1]), and died at Signy-l'Abbaye in 1148. He probably studied at the cathedral school in Reims, though some have argued it was at Laon, prior to his profession as a Benedictine monk. He became a monk 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 at the abbey of Saint-Nicolas-au-Bois, in the Diocese of Laon, and William at Saint-Thierry, on a hill overlooking Reims, in 1119.[1]
In 1118 William met St. Bernard, abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Clairvaux, where they formed an intimate friendship that lasted for life. His greatest desire was to move to Clairvaux and take vows as a Cistercian monk, but Bernard disapproved of the plan and imposed on him the responsibility of remaining abbot at the Benedictine abbey of St. Thierry.[1]
William was instrumental in the first General Chapter meeting of the Benedictine abbots in the Diocese of Reims, in 1131, and it is possible that he hosted the chapter meeting at Saint-Thierry. After the second General Chapter of the Benedictines, held at Soissons in 1132, where many Cistercian reforms were adopted by the Black Monks, William submitted his Responsio abbatum ("Response of the Abbots") to Cardinal Matthew – papal legate in the diocese and critic of the abbots' reforms – successfully defending their efforts at reform. On account of long infirmities and a lifelong desire for a life of contemplation, William resigned his abbacy in 1135 and entered the newly established Cistercian Signy Abbey, also in the diocese of Reims. He did not venture to retire to Clairvaux lest his friend Bernard refuse to accept his abdication.
According to a contemporary, William died 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.[1]
Writings
William wrote throughout all of his abbatial career and in his final years as a Cistercian monk. His earliest works reflect a monk seeking God continually and investigating the ways of furthering the soul's ascent to God in spiritual union.
Toward the end of his career, having written extensively on spiritual life and especially on the moral interpretation of the biblical Song of Songs, William came across the writings of Peter Abelard, whose Trinitarian theology and Christology William found to be in error. He wrote his own work against Abelard and alerted others about these concerns, urging St. Bernard to act. 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. In total, there were 22 works by William (21 extant), all written in Latin between c. 1121 and 1148.
In approximate chronological order, these include:
De contemplando Deo (On Contemplating God) in 1121–1124. This is sometimes paired with De natura et dignitate amoris (below) under the title Liber solioquiorum sancti Bernardi.[2]
De natura et dignitate amoris (On the Nature and Dignity of Love) around the same time. This is sometimes called the Liber beati Bernardi de amore.[3]
Oratio domni Willelmi (Prayer of William) in 1120s.
Epistola ad Domnum Rupertum (Letter to Rupert of Deutz).
De sacramento altaris (On the Sacrament of the Altar) which is the earliest Cistercian text on sacramental theology and written in 1122–23.[4]
Prologus ad Domnum Bernardum abbatem Claravallis (Preface to Sac Alt to Bernard).
Brevis commentatio in Canticum canticorum (Brief Comments on the Song of Songs) his first exposition of this biblical text in mid-1120s, written shortly after his time of convalescence with Bernard at Clairvaux.[5]
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.
Responsio abbatum (Response of the Abbots) from the General Chapter of Benedictine abbots in the diocese of Reims in 1132.
Meditativae orationes (Meditations on Prayer), written c1128-35.[6][7]
Expositio super Epistolam ad Romanos (Exposition of the Letter to the Romans), written c. 1137.[8]
De natura corporis et animae (On the Nature of the Body and the Soul), written c. 1138.[9]
Expositio super Canticum canticorum (Exposition over the Song of Songs) his longer commentary on the Song of Songs, written c1138.[10]
Disputatio adversus Petrum Abelardum (Disputation against Peter Abelard) as a letter to Bernard in 1139.
Epistola ad Gaufridum Carnotensem episcopum et Bernardum abbatem Clarae-vallensem (preface to Disputatio).
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 (now lost).
Speculum fidei (Mirror of Faith) around 1142–1144.[11]
Aenigma fidei (Enigma of Faith), written c1142-44.[12]
Epistola ad fratres de Monte-Dei (Letter to the Brothers of Mont-Dieu, more often called The Golden Epistle) in 1144–1145.[13]
Vita prima Bernardi (First Life of Bernard) in 1147 which was later expanded by other authors after Bernard's death in 1153.
Three of William's writings were widely read in the later Middle Ages. However, they were frequently attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux - a sign of their quality and also another reason for their continued popularity.[14] Only in the early twentieth century did interest in William as a distinct writer begin to develop again and was his name correctly attached to all of his own writings.
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; he is creative and independent 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 On Contemplating God to his Golden Epistle, one can notice 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.
William's writings are contained in J.-P. Migne's Patrologia Cursus Completus Series Latina (Patrologia Latina) volume 180, with other works in volumes 184 and 185. All of his works are available in critical editions in the Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Medievalis series from Brepols in six volumes (86-89B). The bulk of William's writings are available in English translation from Cistercian Publications.
References
^ abcdDégert, Antoine. "William of St-Thierry." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 6 Jun. 2013
^PL 184:365-80. A critical edition is Jacque Hourlier, Guillaume de Saint-Thierry: La contemplation de Dieu. L'Oraison de Dom Guillaume, (Sources Chretiennes 61). English translation is William of St Thierry, On contemplating God; Prayer; Meditations, translated by Sister Penelope, Cistercian Fathers Series no. 3, (Shannon: Irish University Press, 1971).
^PL 184:379-408. The English translation is William of St Thierry, The nature and dignity of love, translated by Thomas X Davis, edited with an introduction by David N Bell, Cistercian Fathers Series no. 30, (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1981)
^PL 184:407-435. English translation is William of St Thierry, A Brief Commentary on the Song of Songs, trans Denys Turner, in Denys Turner, Eros and Allegory: Medieval Exegesis of the Song of Songs, (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1995), 275-290.
^The Meditations of William of St. Thierry: Meditativae orationes. Translated from Latin by "A Religious of C.S.M.V." 1954. New York: Harper and Bros.
^PL 180:205-248. English translation is William of St Thierry, On contemplating God; Prayer; Meditations, translated by Sister Penelope, Cistercian Fathers Series no. 3, (Shannon: Irish University Press, 1971).
^PL 180:547-694. The critical edition in Latin is P Verdeyen, ed, Expositio super Epistolam ad Romanos CCCM 86, (Turnhout: Brepols, 1999). English translation is William of St Thierry, Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans, translated by John Baptist Hasbrouck, edited with an introduction by John D Anderson, Cistercian Fathers Series no. 27, (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1980).
^PL 180:695-726. English translation is: William of St Thierry, De natura corporis et animae, in B McGinn, ed, Three treatises on man: a Cistercian anthropology, Cistercian Fathers Series no. 24, (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1977).
^A critical edition is J-M Déchanet, Exposé sur le Cantique des Cantiques, (Sources Chretiennes 82). Also in PL 180: 475-546. English translation is William of St Thierry, Exposition on the Song of Songs, translated by Mother Columba Hart, edited with an introduction by JM Déchanet, Cistercian Fathers Series no. 6, (Shannon: Irish University Press, 1969).
^Critical edition: Guillaume de Saint-Thierry: Le miroir de la foi. Sources chrétiennes. Jean Déchanet (ed.). Paris: Cerf. 1982. ISBN978-2-204-01987-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) English translations: William of Saint-Thierry: The mirror of faith. Geoffrey Webb, Adrian Walker (trans.). London: Mowbray. 1959.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)William of Saint Thierry: The mirror of faith. Cistercian Fathers. Thomas X. Davis (trans.). Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications. 1979. ISBN978-0-87907-315-2.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^M-M Davy, Guillaume de Saint-Thierry: Deuz traités sur la foi, (Paris: Vrin, 1959). Also in PL 180:397-440. English translation is William of St Thierry, The enigma of faith, translated, with an introduction and notes, by John D Anderson, Cistercian Fathers Series no. 9, (Washington: Cistercian Publications, 1974).
^Critical edition by J-M Déchanet, Guillaume de Saint-Thierry. Lettre aux Frèrer du Mont-Dieu (Lettre d'or), Sources chretiennes 301, (1975). Also in PL 184:307-354. An older English translation is The golden epistle of Abbot William of St. Thierry to the Carthusians of Mont Dieu, now first translated into English by Walter Shewring and edited by Dom Justin McCann, (London: Sheed and Ward, 1930) [reprinted in 1980, with an introduction by Justin McCann, (London: Sheed and Ward, 1980)]. A more modern translation is printed in William of St Thierry, The golden epistle: a letter (of William of St. Thierry) to the brethren at Mont Dieu, translated by T Berkeley, edited with an introduction by JM Déchanet, Cistercian Fathers Series no. 12, (Kalamazoo, MI, 1976).
^These three works were the Epistola ad fratres de Monte Dei, sometimes called the Epistola aurea, the De natura et dignitate amoris, sometimes called the Liber beati Bernardi de amore, and the De contemplando Dei.
Further reading
Bell, David. The Image and Likeness: The Augustinian Spirituality of William of St. Thierry. Cistercian Studies 78. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1984.
A Companion to William of Saint-Thierry. Edited by F. Tyler Sergent. Brill's Companions to the Christian Tradition 84. Leiden: Brill, 2019.
Déchanet, Jean-Marie. William of Saint-Thierry: The Man and His Work. Translated by R. Strachan. Cistercian Studies 10. Spencer, MA: Cistercian Publications, 1972.
McGinn, Bernard. The Growth of Mysticism: Gregory the Great through the 12th Century. NY: Crossroad, 1994 (pp. 225–274).
Unity of Spirit: Studies on William of Saint-Thierry in Honor of E. Rozanne Elder. Edited by F. Tyler Sergent, Aage Rydstrøm-Poulsen, and Marsha L. Dutton. Cistercian Studies 268. Collegeville, MN: Cistercian Publications, 2015.
William Abbot of Saint Thierry: A Colloquium at the Abbey of Saint Thierry. Translated from the French by Jerry Carfantan. Cistercian Fathers 94. Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1987.
External links
Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "William of St-Thierry" . Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
Benedict XVI. "William Of St. Thierry : Cantor Of Love", General Audience, 2 December 2009
William of St. Thierry: A Description of Clairvaux, c. 1143
March 10, 2023
william, thierry, william, saint, thierry, cist, french, guillaume, saint, thierry, latin, guillelmus, theodorici, 1075, 1148, twelfth, century, benedictine, theologian, mystic, from, liège, became, abbot, saint, thierry, france, later, joined, cistercian, ord. William of Saint Thierry O Cist French Guillaume de Saint Thierry Latin Guillelmus S Theodorici 1075 80 85 1148 was a twelfth century Benedictine theologian and mystic from Liege who became abbot of Saint Thierry in France and later joined the Cistercian Order William of Saint Thierry Contents 1 Biography 2 Writings 3 References 4 Further reading 5 External linksBiography EditWilliam was born at Liege in present day Belgium of a noble family between 1075 and 1080 or 1085 1 and died at Signy l Abbaye in 1148 He probably studied at the cathedral school in Reims though some have argued it was at Laon prior to his profession as a Benedictine monk He became a monk 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 at the abbey of Saint Nicolas au Bois in the Diocese of Laon and William at Saint Thierry on a hill overlooking Reims in 1119 1 In 1118 William met St Bernard abbot of the Cistercian monastery of Clairvaux where they formed an intimate friendship that lasted for life His greatest desire was to move to Clairvaux and take vows as a Cistercian monk but Bernard disapproved of the plan and imposed on him the responsibility of remaining abbot at the Benedictine abbey of St Thierry 1 William was instrumental in the first General Chapter meeting of the Benedictine abbots in the Diocese of Reims in 1131 and it is possible that he hosted the chapter meeting at Saint Thierry After the second General Chapter of the Benedictines held at Soissons in 1132 where many Cistercian reforms were adopted by the Black Monks William submitted his Responsio abbatum Response of the Abbots to Cardinal Matthew papal legate in the diocese and critic of the abbots reforms successfully defending their efforts at reform On account of long infirmities and a lifelong desire for a life of contemplation William resigned his abbacy in 1135 and entered the newly established Cistercian Signy Abbey also in the diocese of Reims He did not venture to retire to Clairvaux lest his friend Bernard refuse to accept his abdication According to a contemporary William died 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 1 Writings EditWilliam wrote throughout all of his abbatial career and in his final years as a Cistercian monk His earliest works reflect a monk seeking God continually and investigating the ways of furthering the soul s ascent to God in spiritual union Toward the end of his career having written extensively on spiritual life and especially on the moral interpretation of the biblical Song of Songs William came across the writings of Peter Abelard whose Trinitarian theology and Christology William found to be in error He wrote his own work against Abelard and alerted others about these concerns urging St Bernard to act 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 In total there were 22 works by William 21 extant all written in Latin between c 1121 and 1148 In approximate chronological order these include De contemplando Deo On Contemplating God in 1121 1124 This is sometimes paired with De natura et dignitate amoris below under the title Liber solioquiorum sancti Bernardi 2 De natura et dignitate amoris On the Nature and Dignity of Love around the same time This is sometimes called the Liber beati Bernardi de amore 3 Oratio domni Willelmi Prayer of William in 1120s Epistola ad Domnum Rupertum Letter to Rupert of Deutz De sacramento altaris On the Sacrament of the Altar which is the earliest Cistercian text on sacramental theology and written in 1122 23 4 Prologus ad Domnum Bernardum abbatem Claravallis Preface to Sac Alt to Bernard Brevis commentatio in Canticum canticorum Brief Comments on the Song of Songs his first exposition of this biblical text in mid 1120s written shortly after his time of convalescence with Bernard at Clairvaux 5 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 Responsio abbatum Response of the Abbots from the General Chapter of Benedictine abbots in the diocese of Reims in 1132 Meditativae orationes Meditations on Prayer written c1128 35 6 7 Expositio super Epistolam ad Romanos Exposition of the Letter to the Romans written c 1137 8 De natura corporis et animae On the Nature of the Body and the Soul written c 1138 9 Expositio super Canticum canticorum Exposition over the Song of Songs his longer commentary on the Song of Songs written c1138 10 Disputatio adversus Petrum Abelardum Disputation against Peter Abelard as a letter to Bernard in 1139 Epistola ad Gaufridum Carnotensem episcopum et Bernardum abbatem Clarae vallensem preface to Disputatio 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 now lost Speculum fidei Mirror of Faith around 1142 1144 11 Aenigma fidei Enigma of Faith written c1142 44 12 Epistola ad fratres de Monte Dei Letter to the Brothers of Mont Dieu more often called The Golden Epistle in 1144 1145 13 Vita prima Bernardi First Life of Bernard in 1147 which was later expanded by other authors after Bernard s death in 1153 Three of William s writings were widely read in the later Middle Ages However they were frequently attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux a sign of their quality and also another reason for their continued popularity 14 Only in the early twentieth century did interest in William as a distinct writer begin to develop again and was his name correctly attached to all of his own writings 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 he is creative and independent 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 On Contemplating God to his Golden Epistle one can notice 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 William s writings are contained in J P Migne s Patrologia Cursus Completus Series Latina Patrologia Latina volume 180 with other works in volumes 184 and 185 All of his works are available in critical editions in the Corpus Christianorum Continuatio Medievalis series from Brepols in six volumes 86 89B The bulk of William s writings are available in English translation from Cistercian Publications References Edit a b c d Degert Antoine William of St Thierry The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol 15 New York Robert Appleton Company 1912 6 Jun 2013 PL 184 365 80 A critical edition is Jacque Hourlier Guillaume de Saint Thierry La contemplation de Dieu L Oraison de Dom Guillaume Sources Chretiennes 61 English translation is William of St Thierry On contemplating God Prayer Meditations translated by Sister Penelope Cistercian Fathers Series no 3 Shannon Irish University Press 1971 PL 184 379 408 The English translation is William of St Thierry The nature and dignity of love translated by Thomas X Davis edited with an introduction by David N Bell Cistercian Fathers Series no 30 Kalamazoo MI Cistercian Publications 1981 PL 180 341 366 PL 184 407 435 English translation is William of St Thierry A Brief Commentary on the Song of Songs trans Denys Turner in Denys Turner Eros and Allegory Medieval Exegesis of the Song of Songs Kalamazoo MI Cistercian Publications 1995 275 290 The Meditations of William of St Thierry Meditativae orationes Translated from Latin by A Religious of C S M V 1954 New York Harper and Bros PL 180 205 248 English translation is William of St Thierry On contemplating God Prayer Meditations translated by Sister Penelope Cistercian Fathers Series no 3 Shannon Irish University Press 1971 PL 180 547 694 The critical edition in Latin is P Verdeyen ed Expositio super Epistolam ad Romanos CCCM 86 Turnhout Brepols 1999 English translation is William of St Thierry Exposition on the Epistle to the Romans translated by John Baptist Hasbrouck edited with an introduction by John D Anderson Cistercian Fathers Series no 27 Kalamazoo MI Cistercian Publications 1980 PL 180 695 726 English translation is William of St Thierry De natura corporis et animae in B McGinn ed Three treatises on man a Cistercian anthropology Cistercian Fathers Series no 24 Kalamazoo MI Cistercian Publications 1977 A critical edition is J M Dechanet Expose sur le Cantique des Cantiques Sources Chretiennes 82 Also in PL 180 475 546 English translation is William of St Thierry Exposition on the Song of Songs translated by Mother Columba Hart edited with an introduction by JM Dechanet Cistercian Fathers Series no 6 Shannon Irish University Press 1969 Critical edition Guillaume de Saint Thierry Le miroir de la foi Sources chretiennes Jean Dechanet ed Paris Cerf 1982 ISBN 978 2 204 01987 3 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link English translations William of Saint Thierry The mirror of faith Geoffrey Webb Adrian Walker trans London Mowbray 1959 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link William of Saint Thierry The mirror of faith Cistercian Fathers Thomas X Davis trans Kalamazoo MI Cistercian Publications 1979 ISBN 978 0 87907 315 2 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a CS1 maint others link M M Davy Guillaume de Saint Thierry Deuz traites sur la foi Paris Vrin 1959 Also in PL 180 397 440 English translation is William of St Thierry The enigma of faith translated with an introduction and notes by John D Anderson Cistercian Fathers Series no 9 Washington Cistercian Publications 1974 Critical edition by J M Dechanet Guillaume de Saint Thierry Lettre aux Frerer du Mont Dieu Lettre d or Sources chretiennes 301 1975 Also in PL 184 307 354 An older English translation is The golden epistle of Abbot William of St Thierry to the Carthusians of Mont Dieu now first translated into English by Walter Shewring and edited by Dom Justin McCann London Sheed and Ward 1930 reprinted in 1980 with an introduction by Justin McCann London Sheed and Ward 1980 A more modern translation is printed in William of St Thierry The golden epistle a letter of William of St Thierry to the brethren at Mont Dieu translated by T Berkeley edited with an introduction by JM Dechanet Cistercian Fathers Series no 12 Kalamazoo MI 1976 These three works were the Epistola ad fratres de Monte Dei sometimes called the Epistola aurea the De natura et dignitate amoris sometimes called the Liber beati Bernardi de amore and the De contemplando Dei Further reading EditBell David The Image and Likeness The Augustinian Spirituality of William of St Thierry Cistercian Studies 78 Kalamazoo MI Cistercian Publications 1984 A Companion to William of Saint Thierry Edited by F Tyler Sergent Brill s Companions to the Christian Tradition 84 Leiden Brill 2019 Dechanet Jean Marie William of Saint Thierry The Man and His Work Translated by R Strachan Cistercian Studies 10 Spencer MA Cistercian Publications 1972 McGinn Bernard The Growth of Mysticism Gregory the Great through the 12th Century NY Crossroad 1994 pp 225 274 Unity of Spirit Studies on William of Saint Thierry in Honor of E Rozanne Elder Edited by F Tyler Sergent Aage Rydstrom Poulsen and Marsha L Dutton Cistercian Studies 268 Collegeville MN Cistercian Publications 2015 William Abbot of Saint Thierry A Colloquium at the Abbey of Saint Thierry Translated from the French by Jerry Carfantan Cistercian Fathers 94 Kalamazoo MI Cistercian Publications 1987 External links EditHerbermann Charles ed 1913 William of St Thierry Catholic Encyclopedia New York Robert Appleton Company Benedict XVI William Of St Thierry Cantor Of Love General Audience 2 December 2009 William of St Thierry A Description of Clairvaux c 1143 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title William of St Thierry amp oldid 1109063736, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
