Christian Spirituality Test #2 Benedictines, Franciscans, Dominicans

529

Composition of The Rule of Benedict

1209

Establishment of Franciscans (Order of Friars Minor)

1215

Establishment of Dominicans (Order of Preachers)

593

The Dialogues, Pope Gregory the Great

529

The Rule of Benedict, St. Benedict of Nursia

1263

The Life of St. Francis of Assisi, Bonaventure

1243

Life of St. Dominic, Jean de Mailly

Subiaco, Monte Cassino (Italy)

St. Benedict

Assisi (Italy)

St. Francis

born = Spain, active = southern France

St. Dominic

Cenobitic monasticism

1. asceticism practiced in a community

2. under vowed obedience to an elected superior (abbot or abbess) AND written rule

3. ascetic practice is more moderate

Pachomius

Egyptian father of cenobitic monasticism

lectio divina

slow meditative reading; Bible, Church Fathers, other religious texts; daily; for spiritual inspiration and edification, not information

Liturgy of the Hours/Divine Office/Opus Dei or Work of God

the daily prayer of the Church, marking the hours of each day and sanctifying the day with prayer; 150 Psalms, Bible readings, prayers; 7 times a day

Benedictine vows

stability, obedience, conversatio morum

obedience

to the Abbot and to the written Rule of Benedict

stability

to remain in the monastery of one’s profession until death

conversatio morum

the vow to be faithful unto death to a monastic way of life that promotes likeness to and closeness with Christ through practices like chastity, simplicity of life, and especially humility

Waldensians

founded by Peter Waldo; reform movement that stressed voluntary poverty, works of service to the vulnerable, lay preaching of the gospel; outlawed for failing to seek bishop’s permission to preach in a diocese; deemed schismatic, but not heretical

Cathars

heretical group;

creation is bad and only spirit is good = dualism

Jesus is not God physically incarnate, but purely spirit = Docetism

Jesus did not resurrect from the dead, nor will Christians at the end of time

God is not present in the sacraments, especially the Eucharist = sacraments cannot give spiritual benefit

simony

purchasing an office in the Church (like being a bisop) in exchange for a promise of money or service

clerical concubinage

being sexually active, having children with sexual partners; a violation of ascetic celibacy for monks

pluralism

holding many church offices simultaneously; engaged in to increase money for clergy; believed to lead to pastoral neglect

The Stigmata

the five wounds of Christ (2 in the hands, 2 in the feet, and 1 in the side) appeared on the body of St. Francis

Evangelical poverty

followed the example of the poverty of Christ and his disciples

Mendicant poverty

no private property, but also no corporate property; either work for wages of beg for necessities'; “to beg” = mendico, mendicare

The Apostolate

the Church’s ongoing efforts to preach and teach the Christian faith

lectors

house theologians who led regular “disputations” - debates about theological topics, preparing students for oral examinations at universities

St. Thomas Aquinas

most important medieval intellectual; Author of Summa Theologiae, Summa Contra Gentiles, Commentaries on Aristotle and the Bible; theological consultant to bishops and Popes; “Angelic” Doctor of the Church

St. Catherine of Siena

worked for reform of clergy; did service work in her community (hospital work, prison ministry); diplomat involved in peace negotiations between warring Italian city-states; visions included in Dialogues from 1377; Doctor of the Church

the Rosary

originated in the prayers given to members of monastic communities who were not obligated to say the Divine Office because they took care of the material needs of communities = “lay” brothers and sisters; 150 Hail Marys (broken up by “Our Fathers”) = 150 Psalms of the Divine Office

What were the economic and religious changes that occurred in western Europe between the time of St. Benedict and that of St. Francis of Assisi?

economic

1. Rise of trade and manufacturing, facilitated by use of money and
banking system
2. Emergence of merchant middle class
3. Revitalization of cities and urban culture

religious

1. Clerical corruption: ex. simony, clerical concubinage,
pluralism
2. Reform movements (ex. Waldensians)
3. Heresy: Cathars

What is mendicant poverty? What other challenges did it involve? How did it differ from the type of
ascetic poverty adopted by the Benedictines? How did the practice of mendicant poverty differ between the later Franciscans and later Dominicans – and why?

mendicant poverty- no provate property but also no corporate poverty; have to beg for necessities or work for wages

precarity- don’t know where next meal or bed comes from
Itineracy = moving around constantly to serve the ministry, but also having “no fixed address,” embracing the threat of homelessness

differs from Benedictines who embrace their stability of place

Later Dominicans allowed for some corporate property in the order to facilitate stability for those involved in the ministry, especially university educationn.nn

Name and describe three of the devotional practices Francis and the Franciscans encouraged medieval Christians to engage in (and which Roman Catholics still practice today) to encourage identification with and an emotional connection to the human, suffering Christ and explain what their purpose was.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land: The Franciscans encouraged it because they thought seeing the places where Jesus historically, physically lived would help them become more devoted to him.

The Stations of the Cross: A “Virtual” pilgrimage for those who could not travel to the Holy Land, Stations in churches mark stops on Jesus’s way to his execution.

The Eucharist: In medieval Christianity, the sacrament of the Eucharist was believed to make the human, physical body, and blood present to the Christian in the bread and wine. This is called the doctrine of transubstantiation.

What was the purpose for which the Dominican order was established? What were the practices that supported that purpose? Identify and explain.

Started when Dominic wanted to convert the Cathars to Christianity, used preaching and debating to show their practices went against biblical and traditional Christian theology, people were turned off by luxurious clergy, wanted to join him