Very Devout Meditations attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux A Translation with Introduction and Notes of the Meditationes piisimae de cognitione humanae conditionis
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David N. Bell (1943-2025) was professor emeritus of religious studies and dean of theology at Queen's College, St. John's, Newfoundland, and canon theologian in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's. He is the author of a number of books published by Cistercian Publications, including The Very Devout Meditations attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, Handmaid of the Lord: Mary, the Cistercians, and Armand-Jean de Rancé (CS293, 2021), Everyday Life at La Trappe under Armand-Jean de Rancé (CS274, 2018), and A Saint in the Sun: Praising Saint Bernard in the France of Louis XIV (CS271, 2017)."David Bell has brought to life a fascinating chapter in the larger-than-life image of Bernard of Clairvaux created by the misattribution of many works to this revered Cistercian author. <i>The Most Devout Meditations, </i>with a medieval transmission that far exceeded any of Bernard’s authentic works and a readership that continued into the twentieth century, offers a compelling path toward claiming a place in the heavenly kingdom, a process fueled by the terrors of hell and requiring knowledge of the true nature of the self. Bell’s erudite introduction and careful identification of sources complement the vivid translation, making the volume a great introduction to the rich field of Cistercian spirituality beyond the already well-known giants like Bernard."<br /><b>Anne L. Clark, Professor Emerita of Religion, University of Vermont</b><br />
"Who knew that the most popular work by Bernard of Clairvaux in the medieval period was not by Bernard at all? David Bell presents this influential anonymous work to modern English audiences with a thorough introduction and essential notes. As usual, David Bell is as entertaining as he is effortlessly erudite. This work will interest everyone who is interested in the way Bernard was perceived in the centuries following his death, and, in general, the way in which reputation and authorship were transmitted and transformed in medieval Europe."<br /><b>Fr. Lawrence Morey, Abbey of Gethsemani</b>
"The availability of the <i>Meditationes</i> in a well-introduced, well-translated, copiously annotated English version does provide the opportunity to appreciate why it became so popular in its own era, and to consider what insights it might still be able to provide for ours."<br /><b><i>Catholic Books Review</i></b>
"This is a superbly written and translated text, which should be welcomed by all who are interested in mediaeval spirituality and in the mediaeval view of the human condition."<br /><b><i>The Downside Review</i></b>
"The availability of the <i>Meditationes</i> in a well-introduced, well-translated, copiously annotated English version does provide the opportunity to appreciate why it became so popular in its own era, and to consider what insights it might still he able to provide for ours."<br /><i><b>Catholic Books Review</b></i>
"A fascinating book. It is a rich and nourishing source of 'Bernardine' theology."<br /><i><b>American Benedictine Review</b></i>
This volume, the first complete translation in more than three hundred years, presents one of the most important texts in the history of medieval Latin spirituality. Written between 1170 and 1190 by an unidentified Cistercian monk-priest, Meditationes piisimae, “Very Devout Meditations,” became one of the most popular and widely distributed pieces of spiritual literature in the whole of the Middle Ages. The work survives in at least 670 manuscripts, with the complete English translation of the treatise published in 1701.
List of Abbreviations ix
Part One: Introduction
Chapter One: Bernard and Pseudo-Bernard 3
Chapter Two: The Meditationes piisimae 19
Chapter Three: The Teaching of the Meditationes: Theory 37
Chapter Four: The Teaching of the Meditationes: Practice 55
Chapter Five: The English Translations 71
Part Two: The Translation
Most Devout Meditations On the Knowledge of the Human Condition
Chapter One: On Human Dignity 89
Chapter Two: On Human Misery, the Horror of Death, and the Severity of the Supreme Judge 95
Chapter Three: Of the Dignity of the Soul and the Baseness of the Body 101
Chapter Four: Of the Reward of the Heavenly Homeland 109
Chapter Five: On the Daily Examination of Oneself 116
Chapter Six: On the Need to Be Attentive at the Time of Prayer 119
Chapter Seven: On Guarding the Heart and Zeal in Prayer 126
Chapter Eight: On the Hatred of Carelessness or Negligence in Prayer 128
Chapter Nine: On the Unstable Nature of the Human Heart 130
Chapter Ten: On the Dislike of Being Corrected, and of Being Accused of One’s Failures and Faults 135
Chapter Eleven: On Conscience, Which Accompanies Us Everywhere and Continually Goads Us 141
Chapter Twelve: Of the Three Enemies of Humankind: The Flesh, the World, and the Devil 142
Chapter Thirteen: On the Attacks of These Three Aforesaid Enemies 146
Chapter Fourteen: On the Desire for Our Heavenly Homeland and on Its Supreme Happiness 148
Chapter Fifteen: On the Nature and Feelings of the Old Self, and Its Mortification and Transformation through Christ 150
Index of Classical, Patristic, and Medieval Sources 155
Index of Names and Subjects in Part One 159