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William of Saint-Thierry (ca. 1080–1148) became abbot of the Benedictine abbey of Saint-Thierry in about 1119, holding that office for about sixteen years and writing a large number of works, some for the guidance of the monks of his abbey and others as theological treatises. But during that same time, after meeting Bernard, abbot of the Cistercian abbey of Clairvaux, he longed to become a Cistercian. He finally satisfied that dream in 1135, when he became a monk at Signy. His final work was the first of the five books that constitute the Vita Prima Sancti Bernardi.The nine chapters in this book explore William’s thought as represented in his twenty works, ranging from his earliest theological writing through his contribution to the Vita Prima Sancti Bernardi. The contributors to this volume have moved scholarship on William in new directions, ranging from a comparative analysis of Bernard’s and William’s thought through a study of William’s Christology, an analysis of individual works, a new translation of one of William’s little-known works, an examination of sixteenth-century images drawn from the Vita Prima, a study of William’s rhetorical skills, and a recognition of William’s new take on the phrase unitas spiritus.  Dr. E. Rozanne Elder’s expertise as a scholar of the works of William of Saint-Thierry, combined with her decades of distinguished service as a professor of history, director of the Institute of Cistercian Studies and then of the Center for Cistercian and Monastic Studies, all at Western Michigan University, and as editorial director of Cistercian Publications for thirty-five years, has made her the best known of Cistercian scholars today. She is the one primarily responsible for moving Cistercian studies into the mainstream of medieval history and thought. As the gracious and indefatigable host of the annual Conference of Cistercian Studies that takes place each May as part of the International Medieval Studies Congress, she has created a community of scholars and friends.

Love as the Presence of God in Humanity explores the profound theological anthropology of human love in Western Christian thought, tracing its development from Saint Augustine to the twelfth-century scholastic tradition, where love was understood as both divine and a revelation of God.The book offers a deep understanding of how theologians of the time went even so far as to seeing in the human love a revelation of the divine being. They referred to biblical texts, but also to a long tradition among the early Western theologians, primarily Augustine, but also John Cassian, Candidus of Fulda, and Paschasius Radbertus. Offering detailed analysis of key figures, texts, and theological concepts, the author provides valuable insights into the interplay between human and divine love in medieval thought.Ideal for scholars, students, and enthusiasts of theology, medieval studies, and Christian anthropology, this book is particularly suited for those interested in Augustine’s influence, the twelfth-century intellectual culture, and the historical development of theological perspectives on love.