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Book Reviews

Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works

During the 12th century Bernard of Clairvaux was a major force of monastic reform and political intrigue. Known as ‘Doctor Mellifluous,’ Bernard was very active in the “many political and ecclesiastical disputes”[1] of his time including being a major supporter of the Second Crusade. At his core, however, Bernard was a mystic who longed to spend his time “meditating on the love of God” and the “humanity of Christ.”[2] It is this latter side of Bernard that comes out in the HarperCollins Spiritual Classics book Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works which contains multiple sermons and letters by Bernard along with his treatise “On Loving God.”

The volume starts off with a transcript of Bernard’s sermon “On Conversion” delivered in Paris sometime during the year 1140 A.D.[3] Written – and most likely delivered – with a pastoral heart, Bernard tries hard to convince people that following God is a noble and worthy cause worth forsaking worldly fame and success. After walking through various points of arguments for and against the conversion of the heart, Bernard declares at the end of the sermon that no matter the cost “those whose treasure is in heaven have no reason to fear.”[4]

Bernard’s treatise “On Loving God” makes up the second part of the HarperCollins Spiritual Classics book. This treatise was composed between 1125 and 1141 A.D. at the request of Aimeric, “cardinal deacon of the Church in Rome,”[5] who wished to know “why and how God ought to be loved.”[6] Bernard initially answers this question in eight words, “the cause of loving God is God himself”[7], before elaborating on this response in great length. The mystical tendencies of Bernard come to the front during this selection with him declaring that a person can become so “drunk with divine love”[8] that they “become like God”[9] and are freed from the “entanglements of the flesh.”[10]

The third part of the book is filled with the transcript of six sermons of Bernard on The Song of Songs originally delivered to the monks at Clairvaux between 1135 and 1153 A.D.[11] Following these sermons, the HarperCollins Spiritual Classics book ends with three letters from Bernard to various people. The mystical heart of Bernard shines in his sermons while his pastoral heart and love for the monks under this guidance comes to the surface in his letters.

On a personal level I was struck by Bernard’s passion and love for Jesus. No matter the topic, Bernard’s passionate love for the Creator became the foundation on which everything else was based upon. It is no wonder that Bernard’s theology became known as one of love.[12] Sadly, though, Bernard’s rampant support for the Second Crusade stands in contradiction to his theology of love as he actively promoted the killing of innocent people for political gain. Granted it must be noted that Bernard’s promotion of the Crusade was fueled with a desire to support the Roman Catholic Kingdom of Jerusalem rather than the mass extermination of Jews and Muslims as some preaching of the time taught.[13] Regardless of the reason, I feel that his support of the Second Crusade is a blight upon his otherwise excellent career in support of the Bride of Christ. If anything, the life and writings of Bernard of Clairvaux should serve as a warning not to separate the love of Jesus from the love of one’s fellow neighbor for both are needed as noted by the Messiah himself (e.g. Mark 12:30-31, Matthew 22:36-40).

[1] Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity: The Early Church to the Present Day (Peabody, Massachusetts: Prince Press, 2009) 282.

[2] Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, 282.

[3] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux: Selected Works, ed. Emilie Griffin and trans. G.R. Evans (New York: HarperCollins, 2005), 2.

[4] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux, 46.

[5] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux, 48.

[6] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux, 49.

[7] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux, 49.

[8] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux, 78.

[9] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux, 91.

[10] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux, 91.

[11] Bernard of Clairvaux, Bernard of Clairvaux, 96.

[12] “Bernard of Clairvaux, St. (1090–1153),” Encyclopedia of Philosophy on Encyclopedia.com, accessed January 2, 2019, https://www.encyclopedia.com/humanities/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/bernard-clairvaux-st-1090-1153.

[13] Justo L. González, The Story of Christianity, 297.

Book Reviews

“The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas à Kempis

In the late-fourteenth century a young man from the village of Kempen named Thomas Haemerken joined a spiritual renewal movement started a few decades earlier by a Dutch scholar named Geert Groote.[1] The movement was centered around the life of Jesus of Nazareth with adherents devoting “their lives to study and to educating the world.”[2] After years of study, Haemerken, better known as Thomas à Kempis or Thomas of Kempen, would share the Christ-centered values of the movement with the everyone through one of the most famous and widely read devotional books in the world, The Imitation of Christ.[3] 

            Written in four parts, The Imitation of Christ invites the reader to “study the life of Jesus Christ” so that we may “imitate His life and habits.”[4] To that end, the first part seeks to provide the reader with instructions on how to renounce the values of the world (e.g. pride, material possessions, selfishness) in favor of spiritual soul care and formation. “The greatest wisdom,” Thomas writes, “[is] to seek the kingdom of heaven through contempt of the world.”[5] Though this is not an easy message to embrace, it is one worth pursuing as in doing so we “will find peace and will experience less hardship because of God’s grace and the love of virtue.”[6]

            The second part of the book focuses on the interior life of the reader through a look at the “deeper aspects of the spiritual life, in which God illuminates our hearts with His truth.”[7] It was this selection that really caught my attention as Thomas’ words on mediation, grace, humility, and the Cross were simply powerful. It is easy to try to force oneself to follow the way of Jesus instead of dealing with the internal struggles within our souls. We are not, however, to rely upon ourselves in this journey, but rather “it is the grace of Christ…which can and does bring it about.”[8]

            Thomas shifts his writing style in part three of the book from general prose to a conversational dialogue between Jesus and his ‘disciple’ with the text alternating between the voice of Jesus and his disciple. Because of this literary device, Thomas was able to address common questions and hesitations held by his readers in a loving and humble manner. Unfortunately, I found the style distracting and hard to follow. However, others throughout history have found the style helpful as noted in the preface to this volume.[9]

            The fourth part of the book continues with the conversational dialogue previously introduced. The focus on the conversation shifts from personal soul care to the “centrality of the sacrament of Eucharist”[10] which highlights the monastic and medieval culture in which Thomas was writing. Thomas, however, doesn’t forgo his overall focus on one’s personal life. Throughout this selection about the Eucharist he continues to encourage the reader to pursue the virtues of Jesus Christ. Writing in the voice of Christ, Thomas’s encourages readers not only to “prepare devoutly before Communion” but to “carefully keep [themselves] in devotion after receiving the Sacrament.”[11]

            Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Thomas à Kempis’ Christ-centric devotional book, The Imitation of Christ. His message of spiritual formation based upon the study and imitation of Jesus of Nazareth is one that resonates within my heart. Though it is hard to look deeply inside and allow the Creator to ferret out the negative things within, it is a journey worth pursuing. Besides, as Thomas noted, “when Jesus is near, all is well and nothing seems difficult.”[12]

[1] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ (Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 2008), xii-xiii.

[2] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, xii.

[3] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, xiv.

[4] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, 3.

[5] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, 3.

[6] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, 32.

[7] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, xiv.

[8] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, 50.

[9] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, xiv.

[10] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, xiv.

[11] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, 153.

[12] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, 42.

Book Reviews

“Francis of Assisi and His World” by Mark Galli

The book Francis of Assisi and His World is a relatively small book packed with full color pictures of relics, paintings, maps, and buildings from the time of Francis of Assisi. While this format is uncommon among theology/history books, it makes sense considering it was written by the Managing Editor of Christianity Today magazine, Mark Galli. Though different, the format does fit with Galli’s goal of helping the reader “understand the modern medieval Francis” by giving them a “glimpse of life in the Middle Ages.”[1]

            The textual style of the book built upon the graphical format of the book and helped tell the story of Francis. Though Galli consulted a “great deal of scholarship”[2] in researching the book, he chose to keep the text concise with a moving narrative. This choice worked incredibly well as I found myself fully engaged with the material while pictures of Assisi and Francis swirled around my head.

            Content wise, Galli divided the story of Francis into thirteen parts that follow the general time progression of the saint’s life. The first nine chapters dealt mostly with the more historical events of the saint – i.e. his time as a knight, when he disowned his father, the founding of the Franciscan order, etc. Chapters ten through twelve focused more on Francis teachings and life reflections though they still followed the basic timeline of his life, especially the time after he stepped down from leadership and was preparing to die. Galli uses the last chapter not only to give the reader a sense of what happened to the Franciscan order after Francis death, but also to summarize his conclusion on how the modern reader should respond to Francis’ message.[3]

            It is this later theme that was of interest to me for Galli goes to great pains to remind the reader that Francis was focused on calling people towards “simplicity and poverty.”[4] This was the great message of Francis of Assisi along with the call to forsake one’s sinful actions and embrace the way of Jesus of Nazareth.[5] Sadly this message has been divorced from the memory of Francis with his likeness being used to promote environmental stewardship or service to the poor with no mention of Jesus.[6] This, quite frankly, was the Francis I knew prior to reading Galli’s book.

            In reading this book, however, I have come to a new understanding of who Francis of Assisi was. His call towards simplicity is one that I have found myself embracing over the years in an effort to combat the hyper-materialism of modern American culture. I also enjoyed learning about Francis’ message of humility. His choice to submit to church leadership even though he knew they were incorrect in some things is truly remarkable. All too often, we humans allow pride to divide us rather than seeking to retain relationship with each other through humility and grace. Though Francis’ personal example of humility is one that seems out of reach for myself, I have to admit that it is encouraging and enlightening. To that end, I have a new respect for Francis of Assisi and the Franciscan order he founded.

[1] Mark Galli, Francis of Assisi and His World (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 7-8.

[2] Mark Galli, Francis of Assisi and His World, 8.

[3] Mark Galli, Francis of Assisi and His World, 8, 182-183.

[4] Mark Galli, Francis of Assisi and His World, 183.

[5] Mark Galli, Francis of Assisi and His World, 56-57, 138, 179, 183.

[6] Mark Galli, Francis of Assisi and His World, 181.

Book Reviews

Francis and Clare: The Complete Works

Saint Francis (1182-1226 C.E.) and Saint Clare (1193-1253 C.E.) are two of the most famous saints in the history of Christian Spirituality having “captured the hearts and imaginations of men and women of all nationalities and creeds through the centuries.”[1] Both saints grew up in the Italian city of Assisi around the same time though it is unclear if they knew each other before 1212 C.E. when Clare pledged herself to Christ in the presence of Francis and the bishop of Assisi.[2] In the years that followed this pledge, Clare and Francis became joined together in the minds of their followers as they lived out the ways of Lady Poverty.

            The volume in question contains all the known writings of both Saint Francis and Saint Clare. The first half of the book is focused on Francis displaying the twenty-eight works firmly established as written by Francis along with five dictated letters/blessings.[3] The most famous of these works is “The Earlier Rule” which help establish and guide the Order of Friars Minor (i.e. the Franciscans).[4] Saint Clare’s writings make up the latter half of the book. Included in this selection are her four letters to Blessed Agnes of Prague as well as “The Rule of Saint Clare” that guided the actions of the Order of Poor Ladies.[5]

            While the writings of both Saint Francis and Saint Clare were interesting from a historical view point, I have to admit that I wasn’t personally impacted by their writings. Their radical dedication to Lady Poverty, while honorable, isn’t something that tugs on my spirit, though I do embrace material simplicity which could be called a sister to Lady Poverty. I did, however, connect, as a lot of people have, with Francis’ view on all of creation praising the Creator King.[6] Lastly, I admit that Francis’ overwhelming support for the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church was a surprise to me. Though he lived during a time when corruption ran deep throughout the hierarchy of the church, Francis taught his followers to respect and obey the priests and leaders of the church.[7] This doesn’t mean that he didn’t call out the sins of the church (for he did!), but rather it shows his deep conviction and love for the Bride of Christ.[8] This, if anything, is a message the modern church needs to hear.

[1] Regis J. Armstrong and Ignatius C. Brady, eds., Francis and Clare: The Complete Works (New York City: Paulist Press, 1982), xv.

[2] Regis J. Armstrong and Ignatius C. Brady, eds., Francis and Clare, 170.

[3] Regis J. Armstrong and Ignatius C. Brady, eds., Francis and Clare, 7.

[4] Regis J. Armstrong and Ignatius C. Brady, eds., Francis and Clare, 107-108.

[5] Regis J. Armstrong and Ignatius C. Brady, eds., Francis and Clare, 170.

[6] Regis J. Armstrong and Ignatius C. Brady, eds., Francis and Clare, 19-20.

[7] Regis J. Armstrong and Ignatius C. Brady, eds., Francis and Clare, 69.

[8] Mark Galli, Francis of Assisi and His World (Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 2002), 59, 182.