Berkeley, Theodore, trans; Pennington, M. Basil, trans., Aelred of Rievaulx: The Liturgical Sermons (Cistercian Fathers Series: 58, Kalamazoo: Cistercian Publications, 2001).

Text name(s): Liturgical Sermons

Number of pages of primary source text: 324

Medieval Author(s): Aelred of Rievaulx

Dates: 1147 - 1167

Archival Reference: Municipal Library of Troyes, Manuscript 910

Original Language(s): Latin;

Translation: English translation.

Translation Comments:

Geopolitical Region(s): England;

County/Region: Yorkshire

Apparatus: Introduction

Comments:

A collection and translation of Aelred’s 28 sermons for the liturgical calendar found in the First Collection of Clairvaux. These sermons were given to monks by their abbot for special occasions in the liturgical calendar. In this collection there are sermons for the inauguration of the liturgical year on the first Sunday of advent, for the five feasts of our Lord (Christmas, Epiphany, the Annunciation, Easter, and the Ascension), for the three feasts of the Virgin Mary, and for a few important Saint’s feasts. The abbot would give the sermons to the monks in chapter every morning. The sermons show the inner piety and the religious expression of the medieval monk, and give an idea of the style of sermon writing and the methods of liturgical worship in Aelred’s day. This edition does not contain an index; however there is a short concordance of Aelred’s sermons included before the translation.

Introduction Summary:

The introduction (9-49) gives a brief account of Aelred’s life, followed by a short description of the manuscript in which the sermons are found. The great majority of the introduction is devoted to discussing the style of the sermons and the theology expressed in them.

Cataloger: CDB