5.11 St. Bernard of Clairvaux: Arbiter of Christendom
By Dr. James Papandrea ( bio - articles - email ) | May 28, 2025 | In Way of the Fathers (Podcast)
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St. Bernard of Claivaux (1090—1153 AD) was the founder of the Cistercians, a reform order of the Benedictines, and was one of the Church’s true mystics. He opposed the “intentionalism” of the heretic Peter Abelard with his quip: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” He also opposed an anti-pope, corrected a king, brokered peace in Europe, and had to nuance the doctrine of “just war” in the face of Christian losses in the Crusades.
Links
Check out this article on St. Bernard of Clairvaux and the Active Life: https://www.catholicculture.org/commentary/bernard-clairvaux-and-active-life/?repos=6&subrepos=0&searchid=2539743
Here’s the Classics of Western Spirituality volume on St. Bernard: https://www.paulistpress.com/Products/2917-5/bernard-of-clairvaux.aspx
Dr. Papandrea’s Homepage: http://www.jimpapandrea.com
Dr. Papandrea’s YouTube channel, The Original Church: https://www.youtube.com/@TheOriginalChurch
To ask questions, make comments, or interact with Dr. Papandrea, join the conversation in the Original Church Community: https://theoriginalchurch.locals.com/
Theme Music: Gaudeamus (Introit for the Feast of All Saints), sung by Jeff Ostrowski. Courtesy of Corpus Christi Watershed: https://www.ccwatershed.org/
Dr. James Papandrea is a senior fellow of the St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology and a Catholic member of the faculty at Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. A theological consultant for EWTN’s series The Heresies, he is also the writer and presenter for The Original Church series on YouTube. See full bio.
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