No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 January 2009
Anglicanism has seen a revived interest in monasticism alongside a desire to develop contemporary forms of theological education. These two concerns have much in common given the educational aspects of monasticism, and yet little has been done to bring them together. This article explores the theological method of William of St Thierry and considers the contribution it makes to an ‘Anglican way’ of theological education for today. In particular, his aim to develop theology that engages the reader with God in such a way as to promote virtue brings together the intellectual, worship and pastoral aspects of theological education. His contribution can help deepen an Anglican way and challenge new monastic communities to engage with theology. It also contributes to the development of ‘wisdom theology’ that concerns a number of contemporary theologians.
1. Consider, for example, the work of Anglican priests David Adam and Ray Simpson drawing on traditions from the Holy Island of Lindisfarne.
2. Williams, Rowan, ‘Theological Education in the Anglican Communion’, Journal of Anglican Studies 3.2 (2005), pp. 237–39 (237).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Evans, G. R. (ed.), The Medieval Theologians (Oxford: Blackwell, 2001), p. xixGoogle Scholar. This article was developed in conversation with Gill Evans who introduced me to this period of Christian life and thought.
4. Evans, G. R., Old Arts and New Theology: The Beginnings of Theology as an Academic Discipline (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1980), pp. 8–15.Google Scholar
5. Knowles, David, The Evolution of Medieval Thought (London: Longmans, 1962), pp. 79–80.Google Scholar
6. Evans, , Medieval Theologians, p. xixGoogle Scholar; Stiegman, Emero, ‘Bernard of Clairvaux, William of St. Thierry, the Victorines’Google Scholar, in Evans, (ed.), The Medieval Theologians, p. 129.Google Scholar
7. Anselm, , ‘Proslogion’, in Monologion, Proslogion, Debate with Gaunilo and Meditation on Human Redemption (trans. Hopkins, Jasper and Richardshon, Herbert; London: SCM Press, 1974), Preface.Google Scholar
8. Burgess, John, ‘Celtic Spirituality: A Re-Invented Tradition for 21st Century Mission,’ in Mellor, Howard and Yates, Timothy (eds.), Mission and Spirituality: Creative Ways of Being Church (Sheffield: Cliff College Publishing, 2002) p. 162.Google Scholar
9. Charry, Ellen T., By the Renewing of Your Minds: The Pastoral Function of Christian Doctrine (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1997).Google Scholar
10. Charry, , By the Renewing, p. 5.Google Scholar
11. Charry, , By the Renewing, p. 4.Google Scholar
12. Charry, , By the Renewing, p. 233.Google Scholar
13. Charry, , By the Renewing, p. 5.Google Scholar
14. Charry, , By the Renewing, p. 238.Google Scholar
15. In the terminology of Christian, William, Charry, , By the Renewing, p. 5.Google Scholar
16. Hardy, Daniel W., Finding the Church (London: SCM Press, 2001), p. 44.Google Scholar
17. Hardy, , Finding the Church, pp. 41, 43, 46.Google Scholar
18. St Thierry, William, The Enigma of Faith (Cistercian Fathers Series: Number 9; trans. Anderson, John D.; Washington: Consortium Press, 1973), p. 1.Google Scholar
19. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 1.Google Scholar
20. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 18.Google Scholar
21. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 3.Google Scholar
22. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 13.Google Scholar
23. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 21.Google Scholar
24. St Thierry, , Enigma, pp. 11, 7.Google Scholar
25. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 11.Google Scholar
26. Anderson, John D., ‘Introduction’, in The Enigma of Faith (trans. Anderson, John D.; Washington: Cistercian Publications, 1974), p. 11.Google Scholar
27. Stiegman, , ‘Bernard, William, Victorines’, p. 140.Google Scholar
28. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 11.Google Scholar
29. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 22.Google Scholar
30. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 74 n. 288.Google Scholar
31. St Thierry, , Enigma, pp. 85, 87.Google Scholar
32. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 18.Google Scholar
33. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 5, 4.Google Scholar
34. Bell, David N., The Image and Likeness: The Augustinian Spirituality of William of St Thierry (Cistercian Studies Series, 78; Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 1984), p. 126.Google Scholar
35. Bell, , Image and Likeness, p. 128.Google Scholar
36. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 36.Google Scholar
37. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 37.Google Scholar
38. St Thierry, , Enigma, p. 39.Google Scholar
39. Anderson, , ‘Introduction’, p. 16.Google Scholar
40. Déchanet, J. M., ‘Introduction’, in St Thierry, William, Exposition on the Song of Songs (Cistercian Fathers Series, 6; trans. Hart, Mother Columba; Shannon: Irish University Press, 1969), pp. ix–x.Google Scholar
41. Déchanet, , ‘Introduction’, p. xxviii.Google Scholar
42. St Thierry, , Exposition, 1 (p. 4).Google Scholar
43. St Thierry, , Exposition, 3 (5).Google Scholar
44. Déchanet, , ‘Introduction’, pp. xi–xii.Google Scholar
45. St Thierry, , Exposition, 1 (3).Google Scholar
46. St Thierry, , Exposition, 1 (3–4).Google Scholar
47. St Thierry, , Exposition, 10 (10).Google Scholar
48. For the background to these approaches to Scripture see de Lubac, Henri, Medieval Exegesis. I. The Four Senses of Scripture (trans. Sebanc, Mark; Ressourcement; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1998), pp. 1–3.Google Scholar
49. Stiegman, , ‘Bernard, William, Victorines’, p. 140.Google Scholar
50. Evans, G. R., Bernard of Clairvaux (Great Medieval Thinkers; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000), pp. 62–63.Google Scholar
51. St Thierry, , Exposition, 26 (21).Google Scholar
52. St Thierry, , Exposition, 27 (p. 22)Google Scholar; Déchanet, , ‘Introduction’, p. xiv.Google Scholar
53. St Thierry, , Exposition, 26 (21).Google Scholar
54. St Thierry, , Exposition, 28 (23), 50 (40).Google Scholar
55. St Thierry, , Exposition, 19 (14).Google Scholar
56. St Thierry, , Exposition, 28 (22–23).Google Scholar
57. St Thierry, , Exposition, 57 (46).Google Scholar
58. St Thierry, , Exposition, 57 (46).Google Scholar
59. St Thierry, , Exposition, 31 (26).Google Scholar
60. Déchanet, , ‘Introduction’, pp. xli–xliii.Google Scholar
61. Council, Archbishops, Formation for Ministry Within a Learning Church, GS1496 (London: Church House Publishing, 2003).Google Scholar
62. See, for example, the understanding of formation given in Archbishops Council, Formation for Ministry, 3.11, 29.Google Scholar
63. Archbishops Council, Formation for Ministry, 4.12, 4.13, 41.Google Scholar
64. For example, the importance of communities of devotion as a context for training, Archbishops Council, Formation for Ministry, 3.7, 28.Google Scholar
65. An interesting step in this direction has been taken by the pentecostal scholar Yong, Amos, Spirit-Word-Community: Theological Hermeneutics in Trinitarian Perspective (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2002).Google Scholar
66. See the pertinent comments of Christian historian and theologian Bradly, Ian in Colonies of Heaven: Celtic Models for Today's Church (London: Darton Longman and Todd, 2000), pp. vii–x.Google Scholar
67. Simpson, Ray, Church of the Isles: A Prophetic Strategy for Renewal (Buxhall: Kevin Mayhew, 2003), pp. 61–92Google Scholar; Simpson, Ray, A Pilgrim Way: New Celtic Monasticism for Everyday People (Buxhall: Kevin Mayhew, 2005), pp. 63–79.Google Scholar
68. Simpson does stress that theologically the Trinity is key to Celtic spirituality, but there is little theological exposition, Simpson, Ray, Exploring Celtic Spirituality: Historic Roots for Our Future (Buxhall: Kevin Mayhew, 2004 [1995]), p. 10.Google Scholar