Echoing the Past : The Memory of Bernard of Clairvaux in te Anti-Heretical Polemic of Geoffrey of Auxerre
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| Year of publication | 2018 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Geoffrey of Auxerre was an important but nevertheless underestimated figure in the history of the Cistercian Order. As he was closely related to the abbot of Clairvaux, he seems to be overshadowed by Bernard’s personality. Historians, such as Jean Leclercq, recognised Geoffrey’s importance as theologian and writer and at the same time viewed in the Cistercian abbot's writings an echo of the Bernardine spirituality. Geoffrey tried in the parts of the First Life of Bernard of Clairvaux, he wrote, to keep Bernard's memory alive, by reporting, among others, events, in which he was an eye-witness. Some of these reports have indeed served as a basis for the reconstruction of Bernard's anti-heretical preaching in Southern France in 1145 by historians such as Beverly Kienzle. Even if it is very difficult to argue against the Bernardine influence in Geoffrey's anti-heretical writings, in this paper, I would like to address two main questions, that, I believe, warrant further investigation. Firstly, I will compare the anti-heretical polemic of the two abbots in order to find whether Geoffrey, far from being simply an echo of the Bernardine ideas against heresy, was able to develop and transform them. Secondly, I will explore how Geoffrey could legitimise his own ideas against heresy by employing the memory of Bernard as a fighter against heresy in the First Life. The overall goal of this paper is to find how the memory of Bernard could serve as a rhetorical tool, that could allow Geoffrey to attain authority. |
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