With the Spirit and Power of Elija’ H (Lk 1,17): The Prophetic-Reforming Spirituality of Bernard of Clairvaux as Evidenced Particulary in His Letters

Bernard of Clairvaux is one of the most multi-dimensional and enogmatic figures of the twelfth century. This study situates Bernard in his own proper social. Historical ecclesial and monastic context and seeks to identity and evaluate a simple unifying and interpretative key for use in the reading of Bernard’s works. The conclusion reached is that propethic-reforming is indeed a valuable and valid hermeneutic key for giving both a preliminary unified understanding and interpretation of Bernard’s writing.