Very Devout Meditations attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux

David N. Bell (1943-2025) was professor emeritus of religious studies and dean of theology at Queen's College, St. John's, Newfoundland, and canon theologian in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in St. John's. He is the author of a number of books published by Cistercian Publications, including The Very Devout Meditations attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux, Handmaid of the Lord: Mary, the Cistercians, and Armand-Jean de Rancé (CS293, 2021), Everyday Life at La Trappe under Armand-Jean de Rancé (CS274, 2018), and A Saint in the Sun: Praising Saint Bernard in the France of Louis XIV (CS271, 2017).

"David Bell has brought to life a fascinating chapter in the larger-than-life image of Bernard of Clairvaux created by the misattribution of many works to this revered Cistercian author. The Most Devout Meditations, with a medieval transmission that far exceeded any of Bernard’s authentic works and a readership that continued into the twentieth century, offers a compelling path toward claiming a place in the heavenly kingdom, a process fueled by the terrors of hell and requiring knowledge of the true nature of the self. Bell’s erudite introduction and careful identification of sources complement the vivid translation, making the volume a great introduction to the rich field of Cistercian spirituality beyond the already well-known giants like Bernard."Anne L. Clark, Professor Emerita of Religion, University of Vermont

• ContentsList of Abbreviations    ixPart One: IntroductionChapter One: Bernard and Pseudo-Bernard    3Chapter Two: The Meditationes piisimae    19Chapter Three: The Teaching of the Meditationes: Theory    37Chapter Four: The Teaching of the Meditationes: Practice    55Chapter Five: The English Translations    71Part Two: The TranslationMost Devout Meditations On the Knowledge of the Human ConditionChapter One: On Human Dignity    89Chapter Two: On Human Misery, the Horror of Death, and the Severity of the Supreme Judge    95Chapter Three: Of the Dignity of the Soul and the Baseness of the Body    101Chapter Four: Of the Reward of the Heavenly Homeland    109Chapter Five: On the Daily Examination of Oneself    116 Chapter Six: On the Need to Be Attentive at the Time of Prayer    119Chapter Seven: On Guarding the Heart and Zeal in Prayer    126Chapter Eight: On the Hatred of Carelessness or Negligence in Prayer    128Chapter Nine: On the Unstable Nature of the Human Heart    130Chapter Ten: On the Dislike of Being Corrected, and of Being Accused of One’s Failures and Faults    135Chapter Eleven: On Conscience, Which Accompanies Us Everywhere and Continually Goads Us    141Chapter Twelve: Of the Three Enemies of Humankind: The Flesh, the World, and the Devil    142Chapter Thirteen: On the Attacks of These Three Aforesaid Enemies    146Chapter Fourteen: On the Desire for Our Heavenly Homeland and on Its Supreme Happiness    148Chapter Fifteen: On the Nature and Feelings of the Old Self, and Its Mortification and Transformation through Christ    150Index of Classical, Patristic, and Medieval Sources    155Index of Names and Subjects in Part One    159