Emilia Jamroziak. The Cistercian Order in Medieval Europe, 1090–1500.
Martha G. Newman
Emilia Jamroziak's The Cistercian Order in Medieval Europe, 1090–1500 argues that the Cistercians became one of first trans-regional organizations Europe because their pragmatic response to social, economic, and religious conditions. Jamroziak situates her study relation Louis Julius Lekai's Cistercians: Ideals Reality (1977), for work has long provided standard overview order. critiques “golden age decline” paradigm Lekai others established many us have sought overturn. Instead adopting this older narrative ideals corruption, she focuses on “structures movement” (p. 285) created a trans-European order allowed regional developments adaptations. best parts book analyze Cistercians' relations with patrons evolving economic practices. They focus not just twelfth century but also less-studied thirteenth fourteenth centuries. draws own research concerning between medieval European borderlands. She illuminates ways responded patrons' expectations commemoration burial, how settlement patterns intertwined expansion frontiers western Christendom, monasteries important participants market money economy. repeatedly stresses there was no single ideal either practices or interactions lay patrons. Rather, posits particular structures—the grange system, donation, commemoration, hospitality—that monks modified changing circumstances local articulates similar point chapter examining layout use churches, monastic precincts, manuscripts; against “defined prescriptive style,” suggests artistic choices an environment fostered “contemplative spirituality” 178).
The American Historical Review