Treatise on Monastic Studies: 1691This is the first English translation of Dom Jean Mabillon's treatise that defends the propriety of study and research as an occupation for monks, and lays out a course of studies for young Benedictines training to be scholars. In the 1680s the strict Trappist reformer, Armand-Jean de Ranc , published books condemning scholarship as a suitable occupation for monks. Mabillon belonged to the Maurists, a group of French Benedictines who were already launched on a 150-year odyssey of collecting, editing, and publishing critical editions of the church Fathers, the classics of early French literature and history, the annals of the Benedictine order from its beginnings, and critically vetted lives of Benedictine saints. Mabillon refuted Ranc 's claims, but transformed the debate by writing a masterful survey of authors and works with which monastic scholars should be familiar: pagan classics, the writings of early Christianity, and important publications of the 16th and 17th centuries on topics ranging from biblical scholarship to belles lettres to civil and canon law to books about books. Mabillon includes a "list of difficulties met with in reading the councils, the Fathers, and church history" that presents problems in a non-dogmatic, open-ended way. This edition includes a translator's introduction, suggestions for further reading on the monastic studies controversy, all Mabillon's marginal notes, a bibliography of all published works mentioned in the text, and an index. |
Contents
PART | 17 |
That without that same help abbots and superiors cannot have | 23 |
That the great men who flourished among the monks are a proof that | 29 |
That study was prescribed in his monasteries by St Benedict himself | 37 |
Part Two | 97 |
On studying the councils canon law and civil law | 128 |
On positive theology and scholastic theology | 137 |
On casuists | 144 |
On collections and compilations | 193 |
On composition and translation | 199 |
On monastic conferences | 205 |
On preaching and catechisms | 213 |
Program or plan of studies from the novitiate to the course of theology inclusive | 218 |
Continuation of the same topic in which a program of studies from theology onwards is given | 223 |
A more precise idea of readings for those called by God to study the churchs doctrine through primary sources | 225 |
On readings suitable for superiors | 236 |
On studying sacred and profane history | 147 |
On studying philosophy | 157 |
Continuation of the same topic in which philosophical writings and disputes are considered | 165 |
On studying literature | 172 |
Continuation of the same topic in which the study of manuscripts inscriptions and medals is considered | 179 |
On criticism and its rules | 186 |
Common terms and phrases
abbey abbot according Acta sanctorum apostles archbishop Augustine Basil Benedict Bernard bishop canon Cassian Cassiodorus century Chapter charity Christian church Cîteaux clerics collection commentaries compilations concerning conferences considered councils decretals devout disciples discipline dispensed divine doctrine ecclesiastical edition epistles Epistolae error example faith Fathers finally France Fulgentius give goal Gratian Greek Gregory of Nazianzus heart heretics Holy Scripture homilies idea instruct Isidore of Pelusium Jerome John Chrysostom knowledge Latin learning less letters of St lives Mabillon manual labor matter Maurist Melchior Cano mind monasteries monastic monks moral necessary Nilus notes obliged ourselves Pachomius pagans Paris penance Peter Peter the Venerable philosophy Photius Pope practice prayer published reason religion Rule sacred saint saintly abbot says scholastic speaking spiritual superiors talent teaching Testament Theodoret theology things topic translation treatise truth Venerable Vincent of Lérins virtue volume words writing written wrote