Discussion on Guibert of Nogent - Essay Example

Discussion on Guibert of Nogent (memoirs) In the memoirs of Guibert of Nogent, I will examine the main feature of Christianity in northwestern France in the decades around 1100 as Guibert of Nogent saw them. In my paper too, I will be focusing on why he wrote this book and his motives. In addition, the 11th century reform movement which is known as the Investiture controversy of the Gregorian reform will be dealt with, together with the evidence of the conditions against which the reformers were acting against. And lastly, monastic life in Guibert's time will be examined with focus on signs of change. The main feature of Christianity in northwestern France as Guibert of Nogent around the decade 1100 was the atmosphere was filled with remorse and repentance. "The psalmist sings that this mercy shall abide both now and for ever. Thou dost offer pardon to all who seek for it....but when reason returns, I repent that I have yielded to the lust of my heart when my soul with unwilling heaviness sinks on a dunghill for its bed (Bland, 1)." There is a deep seated desire to know the will of God and to know him, rather the person should empty himself and come to know his Creator. Reading through the monk's memoirs, he sees that the culture around him is submerged in wealth and sin. And all that learning is of no use it the person does not open his heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. "...Unless Christ shall open to him the doors of learning with the key of knowledge, without doubt every teacher shall spend himself in vain on dull ears. Therefore, let every wise man be foolish to claim anything as his own but sin (Bland 2)." Everything is associated with the holy feasts and the days they fall on as a symbol of some divine meaning of why things occurred. "Now the feast of the Blessed Martin was close at hand, in fact the next day (Bland 14)." A person suffers a fate or misfortune because divine intervention has decided to punish the individual for his or her wrong doings-"the man who tries to please a treacherous foe in fear of being bitten, by the just judgment of heaven gets hurt by him and everyone else (Bland 14)." Heaven's decision in the matter is seen as fair and just. The air of Christianity is soaked to the brim with guilt and punishment, justice and retribution although there are numerous times in Guibert's writings where he mentions the mercies of the Lord and his mother's help in our daily lives. The prevailing feature of Christianity in Guibert's time as Guibert saw them was either a person knew the Christian faith and lived by its rules or they didn't and hence committed sacrilegious acts by their very nature of being ignorant in matters of what constitutes as holy and requiring reverence. "And since such words may not be uttered by a Christian's lips, and must cause pious ears to shudder with detestation, we suppress them. Although he praised the Jews , by the Jews he was regarded as a madman and whilst approving their religion in word, he actually practiced ours (Bland 16)." Even profanity was considered as intolerable to ears that were sensitive to them and considered such speech as not characteristic with the Christian faith and contrary to the Christian life. And when man could not do much to intervene or stop the particular person from carrying on with their blasphemies, we see through Guibert that heaven itself takes care of the problem :"When the Virgin Mother, Queen of all, could no longer endure the blasphemies of this corrupt man, as he was entering from a royal expedition, on approaching the city, there appeared a great band of his friends the devils and he coming home with his hair disordered and out of his wits, repulsed his wife and lay with that old woman and that night fell ill of a mortal disease (Bland 17)." Furthermore, there resounds in the 1100s the echo of what beauty is to the individual, the abbot asks us to be more concerned with the beauty of the soul than the appearance of the body. Bland depicts how Guibert of Nogent asks God to infuse beauty with virtue for the seriousness of her manner was such as to make evident her scorn for all vanity , her rare speech and her tranquil features gave no encouragement to light looks (2). The people of northwestern France identified themselves with the life of Jesus Christ and his mother of Jerusalem heavily. The abbot of Nogent talks about his mother was troubled heavily when he wandered from the holy and religious life into the life of sin (Bland 3). The people of France constantly ask the Lord and his mother for comfort and help "and so they ask counsel in their need and fly for help to the altar of the Lady Mary (Bland 3)." There was a lot of suffering for the French people at that time and faith actually gave them something to hold onto and give meaning to their lives. Guibert mentions that in the whole of France nowhere was crime so abundant as amongst the people of Laon (Bland 7). There was also amongst the people strong belief in relics and their powers to heal and this meaning holy relics. "And when she had done adoration to the relics and had drunk the holy water with which they had been washed, at once by Mary's healing she was restored to health (Bland 12)." Again Guibert mentions the powers of the holy relics in his writings to symbolize the people's faith in such things "They came to another town in which there was a great fervour of offerings to the sacred relics both by reason of the fame and certainty of the miracles and for many other reasons (Bland 13)." There was an increased desire within the northwestern French to place their grown up children in a Christian environment. And the life of a priest or monk is seen to be a way of living, not just to survive but as the Christian mentality dominated in those days. "Having found that I might profit at the expense of a cloistered priest, he begged the Lord of Castrum, with whom as his intimate friend, he had more than sufficient influence to summon me and invest me with that canonry on the ground that the cleric was an absentee and utterly unsuitable for office. For contrary to all ecclesiastical law and right, he was holding the Abbacy by permission of the bishop, and not being under rule himself, he demanded obedience to rule for those who were (Bland 5)." A lot of the French countrymen though born of noble birth saw fit to give up their riches for the riches of the heavenly kingdom. "Now the young Simon on the death of his father succeeded him as Count, but for a short time only. For the story goes that the following was the cause of his late conversion...And then he began to despise all the loftiness and the glory that smiled upon himself....I have been told that he had been betrothed to a young girl of high rank, who, hearing that her lover had renounced herself and the world, and not enduring to be considered inferior to him, joined the virgin bands that serve God determined to remain a virgin herself (Bland 5)." Going into a different direction, I would like to focus now on why exactly did Guibert write his book. His mother had a great influence on him as did other factors. "Whilst she, as I have described, was thus divorcing herself from the world, I was left deserted by mother, guide and master For he had so faithfully trained and taught me, fired by my mother's example, love and counsel betook himself to the monastery of Fly. And now I possessed of a baneful liberty began most immoderately to abuse my power, to laugh at churches, to hate school, to love the company of my young lay cousins devoted to knightly pursuits and whilst cursing the clerk's garb, to promise remission of sins, to indulge in sleep in which formerly I was allowed little relaxation....the agitating news of my doings fell upon my mother's ears and surmising from what she heard, my immediate ruin, she was halfdead with fear....And from the moment I entered the monastery church and so soon as I saw the monks sitting there, at that sight a longing for the monk's life seized me, which never grew cold and my spirit had no rest until its desire was fulfilled (Bland 15)." Guibert of Nogent wrote his book I believe because he himself was in the grip of faith. He had a desire that was drawing him closer to the Lord but through the monastic life. And he fought every step of the way till his desires were materialized and took fruit. And since he could not talk much being a monk, I believe he decided to write so that he could channel his energies and thoughts in that direction. "I impatiently threw off respect for my mother and fear of my master ( for she had objected to his going to the monastery knowing his temperament), I cast myself at his feet, begging him earnestly and with tears as a sinner would use to be received by him (Bland 16)." His memoirs indicate that the abbot of nogent was driven to write. Guibert describes it as being suddenly inspired with such love of learning that he yearned for this above all things and if he did not engage in such learning he was lost that day (16). "And Thou, Holy Jesus, knowest with what motive I so acted, chiefly to win glory, that greater honour in this present world might be mine. My friends wrought certain harm to me, for although they gave me good advice, yet oft they plied me with talk of fame and literary distinction and, through these the winning of rank and wealth.....But they remembered not thy command that by such steps a man may not climb to Thy altar, for thus is baseness wont to be revealed. For he that climbeth by any other way, is a thief and a robber which is baseness (Bland 17)." Guibert definitely felt inspired by God to produce his writing 'his confessions' as a way to grow closer to God. He constantly quotes Scripture passages to show us that he is a transformed being under the divine mercy of God. "If therefore there is joy in heaven over one sinner that is converted more than the ninety nine good men that need no repentance....the enemies of the human race are vexed with the most bitter hatred at the rescue of those who change for the better (Bland 17)." In Guibert's writing, there is definitely a theological motive for his writings. He sees himself as the sinner who has repented and has thus changed his ways. And the world though perplexed may even come to hate him but he has a divine mission to announce the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. In particular, the abbot of nogent, felt a strong personal motive toward the calling of the Lord. "I was eager with the aid of my kin to be transferred to other monasteries (Bland 17)." "Certainly my work was so much upset by them and so many brawls started (within the monastery), when occasion arose, about those letters by their constant questions, that they seemed to have this single object in view, to make me change my resolve and to embarrass my understanding. But as, when oil is poured on a fire, it bursts into a livelier flame with that which was supposed to put it out, ....my mind was overtaxed in such labours, the better it became, rendered stronger by its own heat Bland 17)." Here we see the monk of nogent stirred up by the negative feedbacks he receives from the brotherhood. Instead of cowering down to them, he seems to be all the more fueled by the desire to produce more literary work. The element of personal motive is seen quite vividly. But there was also the side to Guibert where he relinquished the notion of someone taking pride in his work -"often inventing an author for them and I was delighted when those which I thought it inconvenient to acknowledge as mine, were praised by those who shared such studies....(Bland 17)." Guibert also mentions quite vividly expressing his desire for writing out of wishing good upon others. "....my prompting had been wonderfully in harmony with his. O God, who lightest the lamp of all that believe in Thee, Thou knowest how Thou didst bestow on me the light of motive and how amid the troubles brought on me, my will towards them is good. And although through my fault as far as depends on me, my heart is foul and wretched, yet Thou art not ignorant how much my soul yearns for the well-being of those whom Thou didst put under me (Bland 2)." Here Guigent explicitly states his motives for writing are for the welfare of others under him and those who would read his memoirs may benefit spiritually from them. There are subtle signs of the 11th century reform movement which is called the Investiture Controversy of the Gregorian reform --"frequently to study the works of Gregory, in which are best to be found the keys to that art, and according to the rules of ancient writers to treat the words of the prophets and the gospels in their allegorical, their moral and even their mystical meaning (Bland 17)." Guibert of Nogent frequently took to studying the works of Gregory in order to understand the nature of the Gregorian movement that actually took form in that era. There was a lot of injustice too that the monks were revolting against "now there were in that conspiracy with the bishop himself two archdeacons of the church, Walter and Guy (Bland 4)." There was also great plundering going on in the monastery--"But the king after the murder of Gerard, believing the bishop to be a party to the crime which under colour of absence he sought to conceal, gave order that all the bishop's palace should be stripped of corn, wine and meat and he at Rome was aware of the plundering and the cause of it. And so letters were sent to the king who had determined that he should be kept out of his sec and had deprived him of his property....hastened to meet him (Bland 4)." These reformers were revolting against the system that was in place at the time with the church. In addition, there was a lot of extracting money from the people's. "The people seizing this opportunity for freeing themselves gathered huge sums of money to fill the gaping mouths of so many greedy men. And they, pleased with the shower poured upon them, took oaths binding themselves in the matter (Bland 6)."A lot of injustices were committed against the people through greed. However, monastic life in Guibert's time involved typically going to church, "they had gone in procession to the great altar to sing the litany for they dared not remain in the choir ...(Bland 20)." They also undergo ruthless persecutions in that era due to their beliefs-where Bland translates and tells us how the King of the English named Rufus was not wanting to spend his own money and wanted to have this chasuble (20). But when the abbot refused, the monastery was looted violently by the king and the abbott was forced to give the looting for fifteen marks. Hopelessly, the monk's life was tied to making confessions, making amendments to the Lord for his sins- "going through the midst of choir he was heard to say "unless ye confess, ye will die (Bland 21)." There is also reason to believe that the monastic life in Guibert's time was filled with the visits by the devil who was not happy to see these men do their service to God or so its seems that way to the abbot of Nogent in his memoirs. "And when they perceived that those seen by him were none other than devils threatening him to make the sign of the cross and to call with confidence on the blessed Mother of God (Bland 24)." A lot of the rituals were performed in the monastery that are not so common today such as the performance of exorcism where Guibert of Nogent mentions a girl had been brought to the monastery and brought back to her senses through the medium of prayer and exorcism (Bland 24). The place itself Nogent as Guibert describes it in his memoirs is a historical place (Bland 26). "...and advancement to the charge of that place as he behaved with great caution and the people and nobles alike had both the will and the power to enrich the churches much wealth in lands and revenues subsequently poured into this one (Bland 2)." This dealing is fairly consistent with what goes on today in monastic life where people contribute to the upkeep of the church and a lot of revenue is invested in the lands that surround the church. Guibert mentions how men with a desire to found monasteries and bestow on the monasteries land and money spending their substance on such works more freely and gladly than their children (Bland 2). Another underlying feature of monastic life in Guibert't time is the submission to authority. However, this is the same to the present day in the Catholic religious life especially the monastic life where you are supposed to surrender to the obedience of your superiors in order to know the will of God. Also it is customary to know the Latin language, this again is common in the monastic life where the monks employ the Gregorian chant which is today accepted in the Vatican as the religious music of the church. Another key feature mentioned in Guibert's memoirs of his life- it is a known fact that a person's sinning against the Lord and his divine will is the reason for one's illness and misfortune. However, if the person repents, then there is a happier ending. "Living there for some time and losing every day some of his great fervour, as the heat of his early emotion grew cold, he abandoned the rule which he had accepted, returned to Rheims and married a wife. After begetting of her several children, he was stricken with a disease sent by God for his correction (Here Guibert is giving an account of the life of one of the monk's who had entered the monastery in his time) (Bland 3)." Although this is the general rule in the divine book, illness today and misfortune are not viewed as punishment today in the monastic life. Suffering is seen to be good when united with the Lord's suffering. A lot of the current saints and martyrs accept suffering as a blessing from God in order to understand or partake in his glory in the next life. The monks are seen to guide the church with their very own lives if there is some imminent danger to the church. "Now whatever he was himself in respect of self-seeking or any other human passions, honour is certainly due to him for having splendidly guarded the liberty of the church and for his advancement both of the See and the churches attached to it, through his generous bounty (Bland 3)." This feature is also common today among the monks where they are ready to die if need be to the church. Most of the catholic monasteries today are faithful to the magisterium of the church and to the Pope the holy See. What is not common today is the practice of anathema which is excommunication. If a person today breaks away from the church and its teaching, the person is not excommunicated , but is just considered a fallen away monk and should he decide to come back into the church and religious life, he can do so provided he is repentant and has gone to confession. This, however, is not the case in Guibert't time. Guibert speaks of a king being condemned of his marriage or union to a woman who was the wife of another was condemned by many as anathema and declared by many as cursed by the protests of the council (Bland 3). There is not prevalent today in monastic life many of the horrific cruel punishments that were there in Guibert's time. In Guibert's time he speaks of Enguerrand's followers who were captured by the Lotharingian which were either hanged on the gallows or had their eyes put out or their feet cut off (Bland 3). We do not hear of these horrendous treatments anymore in Christianity and monastic life in general. A lot of the cruel treatments of the time also caused the prisoners to be chained in dungeons-"no one can tell how many had expired in his dungeons and chains by starvation, disease and torture (Bland 7)." This technique is no longer employed in monastic life where a person is chained or tortured in any shape or form. Another interesting fact that is mentioned in Guibert's memoirs and so are indicative of the monastic life are the clear and blunt references made to hell and devils. In the monastic life today, there is employed not so much the emphasis on the devil although that is a reality, but is not used to actually scare people :""Going therefore at night to his lodging, he hastened to obey the devil not the apostle as he supposed who had given him that advice (Bland 27)." "Let no one be surprised that wicked spirits have much power at this time to mock or to hurt men, for no doubt they do these acts as beasts and not in the name of the Lord (Bland 27)." Hence we come to the conclusion of my essay. In summing all of this, it is noteworthy to say that the people in Guibert's time were of humble faith and simple minds. Yet in his memoirs, his simplicity gives air to the depths of his soul and how he perceived the concept of right and wrong according to divine law. In his writings are clearly perceived the influence of his mother and her religious attitude and how this has affected the young Guibert which actually carries on into his youth and later his adult years. From Guibert's perspective, Christianity in northwestern France has an air of repentance and sin as I discussed in the beginning of my essay. The people see the monastic life as fruitful as a way to make a living that is worthy so highly in God's kingdom and man's. The frugalities of the monk's way of living is what attract Guibert to the monastery. There are many reasons why Guibert wrote his book but through his own writings, we can deduce a theological and personal motive. The theological motive being his essentially desiring from good motives the well being of others under him. His personal motive was he was attracted to learning and also enjoyed writing things that helped him go deeper into his soul if you may. Guibert did identify in his book though only subtly of the Investiture controversy of the Gregorian reform. The reformers were objecting to such practices through their willful disobedience to the authorities such as those that were contrary to the Church's teachings on truth and sound doctrine. Finally, in Guibert's time, monastic life is seen as brutal and relying heavily on punishments that were physically despicable by today's standards. There are numerous instances in Guibert's writings where he mentions the cruel and unusual punishments that prisoners or criminals suffered at the monastery. In the end, I can say there are some changes in the present day in the monastic life but there are instances where the monastic life remains the same. The monastic life is similar today where the monks are secluded and are answerable to their superiors in the order. Also, the church is guarded zealously to the point of death if need be when the occasion calls for it. The main difference in the monastic life today is that the monks and religious do not suffer the physical torture described by Guibert in his book and there is not today the emphasis in religious life of the devils and hell. Although they are known to exist, they are not used to scare the people . Works Cited Page Bland,C. Medieval Sourcebook Guibert, de Nogent Autobiographyt: Memoirs of Guibert of Nogent. (A monk's confession translation) ,December 1997, Ebook format. London, George Routledge,1925. Medieval Sourcebook guibert of nogent 1124. Fordham Education. Retrieved May 11,2006. Read More