Notes: The Conversion of St Benedict

1.  The Life of St Benedict: Studies
2. The Rule of St Benedict Supposes Learned Monks
3. Lectio and Meditatio
4. Studies According to Cassiodorus

 angusto initio

The Life of St Benedict: Studies

Texts of the Benedictine tradition;

• Rule of St Benedict
• Life of St Benedict, Book II of Dialogues of St Gregory

a symbol of St Benedict 

"the young Benedict left Rome and school to go and lead in solitude a life entirely consecrated to God."

Facts:

His conversion -- like Augustine, he took up studies and abandoned them

"Two questions which  may arise here are:    What studies did he undertake?  Why did he give them up?"

the liberalia studia available to young Romans.  He probably did not get as far as law.  It is not of great importance, because the meaning is symbolic.

Why did he give them up?  Not because he was failing, but because of the dangers to morals in school life.

"Thus in the life of St Benedict we find in germ the two components of monastic culture:  studies undertaken, and then, not precisely scorned, but renounced and transcended, for the sake of the kingdom of God."

The attitude is typical of monks of antiquity

Example:  St Caesarius of Arles (Lerins).   He had opporunity to study under Julian Pomerius, a famous grammarian and the author of "On the Contemplative Life".  

"All Benedictine tradition was to be made in the image of St Benedict's life:  scienter nescius et sapienter indoctus."

 

 The Rule of St Benedict Supposes Learned Monks

In the Rule:   

What is the culture of its author?  What is it that he either expects his disciples to have or prescribes for them?  

There is some scholarly debate about the extent of his learning, but it's not important to the point.  We know he took many things at second hand, from other rules of the time. 

To sum up, the athor of the Rule is distinguished less by the breadth of his knowledge than by the intelligence with which he uses it, by his understanding of the monastic life, and by the characteristics he impressed upon it.

What culture is expected of the monk?

Again, there is divergence of opinions on the details.  

He makes no legislation on it, "no doubt because he takes it for granted".

"...Let us try to state it first according to the Rule itself, and then by comparison with the teaching of a contemporary of Benedict, Cassiodorus." 

In the Rule we see the same knowledge of letters and search for God that we have seen in the Life.   

"one of the principal occupations of the monk is the lectio divina, which includes meditation:  meditari aut legere."

 It follows that in the monastery one must:

• possess books
• know how to write them and read them
• if necessary, learn how to read and write.  

He takes for granted the existence of a library; since each monk was given a codex to read for Lent.  

All should be able to read:  Scripture, Cassian, and St Basil.   There is reading and listening in the refectory (during meals), in choir, and before guests.