Bernard of Clairvaux

Life

Bernard (Latin: Bernardus) was born around 1090 at Fontaine, near Dijon in Burgundy. He was the third of seven children in a noble family. He showed a gift for literature and learning from an early age, and according to tradition he resolved to become a monk after his mother's death.

At about the age of twenty-one or twenty-two, he led some thirty relatives and companions into the monastery of Cîteaux. Cîteaux was a newly founded reform monastery established to observe the Rule of Saint Benedict (the rule governing monastic life) strictly, and it later grew into the religious order known as the Cistercian Order. In 1115 he was sent out with twelve monks to found a new monastery. He named the site "Clairvaux" ("bright valley") and became its abbot. He died at Clairvaux on August 20, 1153; some sources give the date as August 21.

Ministry and Achievements

• Monastic reform: During his abbacy, the number of monasteries founded from Clairvaux reached sixty to sixty-eight, depending on the source. His influence was a major factor in the spread of the Cistercian Order throughout Europe.
• Church politics: In 1130 the church was divided when Innocent II and Anacletus II contended for the papacy. Bernard supported Innocent II and traveled throughout France, Germany, and Italy on his behalf, and he is credited with playing a decisive role in ending the schism. One of his disciples, who had been a monk at Clairvaux, later became Pope Eugene III. In 1153, shortly before his death, he set out to mediate a conflict in the region of Metz and Lorraine.
• Spirituality and preaching: He left a teaching that describes the deepening of love for God in four degrees. His profound meditation on the humanity of Jesus Christ and on the Incarnation, together with his veneration of Mary, greatly influenced the affective piety of the Middle Ages. His eloquence earned him the title "Mellifluous Doctor" ("honey-sweet doctor").
• He is also known to have influenced the founding of the Knights Templar and the crusading movement.

Influence on the Korean Church

Because Bernard was a figure of the Western church before the Reformation, he has no direct historical connection with Korean Protestant denominations. The ways in which he is honored differ by tradition. The Catholic Church venerates him as a saint and Doctor of the Church and keeps August 20 as his feast day. He is also commemorated in the Anglican and Lutheran traditions; in Korea, the Anglican Church of Korea and the Lutheran Church in Korea belong to these traditions. How the Korean church has received his writings and spirituality should be documented further on the basis of verified sources.

Assessment

In the Catholic Church, Pope Alexander III canonized him (officially declared him a saint) on January 18, 1174. He is known as the first Cistercian saint to be canonized through a formal process. In 1830 Pope Pius VIII declared him a Doctor of the Church. He is regarded as the most influential leader of the Western church in the first half of the twelfth century.

On the other hand, his deep involvement in political and military affairs, such as the papal schism and the Crusades, has drawn mixed assessments. There are also records that during his travels he preached against injustices suffered by Jews. His faith combined a Christ-centered piety with elements that most Protestant denominations do not accept, such as Marian veneration and the monastic system. Consequently, the degree to which he is embraced varies from denomination to denomination.