- Title:
- The constructions of the Cistercian Lay Brother in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries
- Creator:
- Plunkett-Latimer, Abraham G.
- Date Created:
- 2010
- Degree Awarded:
- Master of Arts
- Subjects:
- Medieval ages Church History Cistercians Cistercians Spiritual life
- Geographical Focus:
- Europe
- Supporting Materials:
- n/a
- Description:
- This thesis focuses on the construction of the Cistercian lay brother (conversus) as a social category. In particular it inquires into how choir monks dealt with the conceptual problem posed by lay brothers as monks who did not pray, and their relationship to the monks themselves. It demonstrates that the character and institutional role of the lay brother was not static, but continued to evolve over the course of the twelfth and thirteenth centuries within Cistercian discourse and was subject to varying interpretations according to time and place. This project considers rhetorical and legislative strategies by which lay brothers could be integrated ideologically and practically into the Cistercian hierarchy. The analysis centres around four key sources demonstrating how lay brothers were represented in a number of literary genres over time, including customaries, statutes, sermons, and miracle stories. The variation in the representation of lay brothers in these documents indicates not only that the status of lay brothers was subject to debate, but also that the creation of their role was an active process. ‘
Source
- Preferred Citation:
- Plunkett-Latimer, Abraham G.. 2010. "The constructions of the Cistercian Lay Brother in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries", Department of History, Carleton University
- Link to this page:
- https://cuhistory.github.io/grads/items/hist_117.html
Rights
- Rights:
- Copyright the author, all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.