Date of Award
7-1964
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
History
First Advisor
Dr. John R. Sommerfeldt
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
First paragraph:
The author confesses to a profound emotional involvement with AiIred of Rievaulx, Saint of the Church and man whose love was charity, the love that is like God's love. But this zealousness on his behalf was born after analysis of and reflection on Ailred's life and writings, comparing these judgments with the treatments he has received at the hands of various scholars, among them the fine names of David Knowles, F.M. Powicke, C. H. Talbot and Aelred Squire. The initial reaction induced by the comparison was indignation at the injustice done AiIred, but much more at the seeming ineptitude of what was supposed to be scholarship. Actually, all four of the men named here have recognized, with varying degrees of awareness, the seeming contradiction between the ideal to which Ailred subscribed, which is contemplative, and the activities to which he gave himself, especially his writings, so many of which are "secular". All of these men have given some kind of answer to the problem, Powicke leaving it as a contradiction, Knowles and Talbot “whitewashing" the the contrariety leaving Squire as the only one attempting to come to grips with the problem, though he does not yet seem to be cognizant of the depth of the disparity and therefore has to this date given insufficient answers.
Recommended Citation
Hughes, Tyrrell, "Ailred of Riveaulx the Consistency of His Life and Writings with His Thought and His Profession as Cistercian Monk" (1964). Masters Theses. 3723.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3723