38 - Monastic Preaching and the Sermon in Medieval Latin Christendom to the Twelfth Century

Summary

Christian preaching and the genre of the sermon developed both inside and outside the cloister, evolving as they circulated between secular and religious audiences. Whereas few monks (beyond the ones who became bishops) were ordained in the early centuries of Western monasticism, the difference between monks and secular clergy moved gradually to sharper definition in the eighth century, as more and more monks were being ordained. Debates intensified in the late eleventh and early twelfth centuries over the duty and authorization for preaching by monks, particularly outside the monastery. While Jerome (347–420) had asserted that the duty of monks is “not to teach, but to weep,” Rupert of Deutz (c. 1075–1129), addressing his extensive biblical commentaries to prelates and monk-priests, argued forcefully that preaching stood first among their responsibilities. For Rupert, the impetus toward renewal and reform in the twelfth century rested upon correct and authorized preaching.