Imagining Religious Leadership in the Middle Ages: Richard of Saint-Vanne and the Politics of Reform
Steven Vanderputten
Around the turn of first millennium AD, there emerged in former Carolingian Empire a generation abbots that came to be remembered as one most influential history Western monasticism. In this book Steven Vanderputten reevaluates historical significance monastic leaders through an in-depth study its prominent figures, Richard Saint-Vanne. During his lifetime, (d. 1046) served abbot numerous monasteries, which gained him reputation highly successful administrator and reformer discipline. As shows, however, more complex view Richard's career, spirituality, motivations enables us better evaluate achievements church leader reformer.
Vanderputten analyzes various accounts Richard’s life, contemporary sources are revealing worldview self-conception, evidence relating actions promoter conversion. himself conceived life evolving commentary on wide range issues individual discipline, religious leadership. This commentary, combined conservative revolutionary elements, reached far beyond walls monastery concerned many would divide subjects later eleventh century.