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The monastic movement that produced the Cistercian Order was marked by a quest for spiritual renewal, which eventually transformed the spiritual landscape of medieval Europe and continues its influence into our own times. The documents left behind by the founders of Citeaux convey a deep desire for authenticity – for the recovery of the unadulterated faith and ideals of the apostolic church. They expressed their goal by aiming at the purity of the Rule, returning to an ascetic ideal more in tune with the original inspiration of early monasticism and less prone to compromise with the priorities of feudal society. Early Cistercians emphasized simplicity of life and a balance between work and prayer, in contrast with the lifestyle of the Benedictines in Cluny, whose lives were dominated by lengthy and elaborate liturgical practices. The search for authenticity sent the Cistercians back to the two great sources of theology and spirituality: the Bible and the Church Fathers. The first Cistercian generation attracted a host of bright and educated men who brought their intellectual gifts to the service of their communities and the Church. The towering figure of Cistercian spirituality was St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who exercised immense influence on the whole 12th century “as a monk leading the Western world” (Daniel-Rops). His friend William of St. Thierry excelled in a more philosophical school of spiritual theology, and connected Bernard with the “early scholasticism” that was then emerging in French universities. By preaching and writing, Saint Aelred, abbot of Rielvaux, spread and elaborated Bernard’s spiritual doctrine in the monasteries of the British Isles. Other outstanding figures representing early Cistercian spirituality included Isaac of Stella, Baldwin of Ford, and Adam of Perseigne, Blessed Guerric of Igny, and Blessed Eugene III, the first Cistercian Pope. Benedict XII (r. 1334-1342), the other pope of the Cistercian order, was also especially notable for his commitment to spiritual practice and Christian doctrine. The early Cistercian writings emphasized both Christology and anthropology. Paying unique attention to the “mysteries of Christ” – the salvific events of Jesus’ life on earth – the Cistercians greatly contributed to the medieval devotion to the fully human Christ, and to his Blessed Mother. They also underlined the importance of self-knowledge, building on traditions rooted in the thought of St. Augustine. They frequently emphasized that discovering the truth about the self is always part of the path to encountering the truth about God. Cistercian spirituality thus follows the Benedictine Rule by insisting on humility, but complements this by defining the Cistercian community as a “school of charity” (schola caritatis), a lifestyle in which one must learn to grow simultaneously in the love of God, of neighbor, and of the true self. Because of its heavy concentration on biblical and patristic sources, and because of this special harmonization of Trinitarian-Christological doctrine with classical insights into the moral-ascetic development of the human being, Cistercian spirituality has remained a source of Christian inspiration throughout the 900 years that have elapsed since the foundation of Citeaux.
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