E-Books →The Cistercian Order in Medieval Europe (The Medieval World)

Jamroziak argues that the story of the Cistercian Order in the Middle Ages was not one of a 'Golden Age' followed by decline, nor was the true 'Cistercian spirit' exclusively embedded in the early texts to remain unchanged for centuries. Instead she shows how the Order functioned and changed over time as an international organisation, held together by a novel 'management system'; from Estonia in the east to Portugal in the west, and from Norway to Italy. The ability to adapt and respond to these very different social and economic conditions is what made the Cistercians so successful.
This book draws upon a wide range of primary sources, as well as scholarly literature in several languages, to explore the following key areas:the degree of centralisation versus local specificityhow much the contact between monastic communities and lay people changed over timehow the concept of reform was central to the Medieval history of the Cistercian OrderThis book will appeal to anyone interested in Medieval history and the Medieval Church more generally as well as those with a particular interest in monasticism.