Some Recent Work on Early Benedictine History
David Knowles
Thirty years ago a phase of monastic historical scholarship was drawing towards its close. For some forty previously group scholars, who may fitly be considered the founders critical history our century, had been actively at work. Almost all belonged to, or were connected with, three Benedictine abbeys: Maredsous in Belgium, Farnborough and Downside England, belonging respectively to Congregations Beuron, France England. Among them stood out Ursmer Berlière Maredsous, creator for long editor Revue Bénédictine historian medieval monasticism; his colleague Germain Morin, equally distinguished patristic fields; André Wilmart Farnborough, unrivalled age knowledge literature spirituality, colleagues Ferdinand Cabrol Henri Leclercq; Edmund Bishop Cuthbert Butler. To these added John Chapman, originally later who, though primarily New Testament scholar, turned last St Benedict; Abbot Delatte Solesmes not an historian, distilled presented modern monks wisdom innumerable commentators past on Rule Benedict. Taken as group, men surveyed order between 540 1350, while Butler produced sound edition and, together with others, analysed legislation spiritual doctrine monasticism fulness that achieved any other order, save perhaps Francis.
Studies in Church History