Notes on Leclercq Preface

 It seems important to look closely at Leclercq's preface because this is where he writes about his intentions, what he wants to do and what he doesn't want to, or can't, do in a book of this type.   I notice that at least to some extent his preface gracefully embodies some of the features of the monastic style of education that he will later describe.   These are:

He writes as an individual person, a teacher, who knows his subject well but distills it in a way that is understandable to his audience.  His audience is monastic and so would have some pre-knowledge of his topic just by their lived monastic experience, but he will extend and enrich their understanding.

He thinks of his work as partial, a beginning to the subject rather than the last word, and leaves room for further scholars to develop and investigate what he has only touched upon. (Br Cyprian)

He does not come down on one side or another of controversies, but rather prefers to work by describing and unifying.   Especially, he doesn't intend to critique  -- he wants to understand, not judge.   

page 1

1.  This book began life as a series of lectures to young monks.   It contains generalizations inevitable in a comprehensive work, and is not targeted to a scholarly audience already well informed in this field.
2. It is not a synthesis, which would be premature. nor a bibliography.   His purpose is to draw attention to subjects that warrant further investigation, though he will suggest partial and provisional solutions at times.   His sources are written documents of doctrinal or spiritual character, excluding works on geography and science and the like, which in any case were less common.   He rarely will cite a source later than the early 13th century.
3. He has made many simplifications and generalizations that would call for supporting arguments, shading, further definitions that are sometimes available in other books.   He mentions several authors that have done much work in medieval studies but says there hasn't been a book written on this specific topic, pulling together and summarizing materials that haven't been considered together before.  

Page 2

1. Does monastic culture have its own identifying characteristics?  What are they?  It is difficult to decide, and might look different from inside and outside the monastery walls.   
2. All that is available from this past time is pictures and writings.  Does that mean the truth can not be known at this current date?    He acknowledges the limits but even with possible distortions and even falsifications, he thinks we can get a sense at least of what monastics aspired to.  He says his purpose is "less to pass judgment than to understand."    The picture built up is at least of the monastics' true self, the self they wanted to be.