2979. *Cistercian Order, Abbots of

AbstractTotal institutions are by definition totalitarian, but not necessarily authoritarian. Voluntary total institutions consist of members who have chosen to enter, but what opportunities do they have to leave? This article addresses opportunities for exit and voice in Catholic monasteries within the Cistercian Order of Strict Observance. Monasteries have institutionalized important democratic processes regarding membership and leadership. Members are involved in decision-making through community bodies and discussions, but in many practical concerns, superiors may wrest control by neglecting to ask the community for alternative opinions. The superior’s decision-making style therefore crucially affects the range of democratic decision-making in individual monastic communities. Complete exits are common during the initial entry process. The cost of leaving is higher for full members, and the internal exit option to other monastic communities in the Order is therefore of great importance. It means that monastic communities cease to operate as monopolies.

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(Dis)obedience in the Cistercian Order - Some Reflections on Bernard of Clairvauxʼs Letter to Brother Adam

Nova prisutnost ◽

10.31192/np.17.3.6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol XVII (3) ◽

pp. 528-528

Author(s):

Marko Jerković

Keyword(s):

Cistercian Order

Godine 1124. jedna je skupina redovnika napustila svoju cistercitsku zajednicu u Morimondu i zaputila se u Svetu Zemlju (pothvat koji je završio neuspješno). Budući da za taj put nisu dobili odobrenje redovničkih autoriteta, čin je smatran velikim skandalom koji je uvelike naštetio duhovnome životu zajednice. Veliki cistercitski teolog Bernard od Clairvauxa svojim je pismima nastojao utjecati na povratak »odbjeglih« redovnika. U najopsežnijem pismu, upućenom bratu Adamu, Bernard pojašnjava kako je »nedjelo« redovnika iz Morimonda učinjeno uslijed njihova krivoga shvaćanja autoriteta. Članak analizira na koji je način Bernard poimao istinsku poslušnost i kako je poslušnost korelirao s najvišim duhovnim vrijednostima cistercitskoga reda. Također, istražuju se implikacije poslušnosti i uloga savjesti u redovničkom životu te Bernardova konceptualizacija opatove i redovnikove odgovornosti za zajedničko opsluživanje (Pravila). U konačnici, razmatraju se Bernardovi pogledi na poslušnost u odnosu na unutarnje strukture autoriteta u cistercitskome redu, kao i u odnosu na autoritet biskupa i pape.

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