Understanding Rance: The Spirituality Of The Abbot Of La Trappe In Context

by David N. Bell

Book by Bell, David N.

371 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2005

Reviews

[William Nist · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkably interesting read on the founder of the "Trappist" flavor of Cistercian Religious life. Rance was an privileged and educated man (Doctorate--Sorbonne) and a somewhat worldly abbe-about-town. He fell in love with a society woman, but her untimely death was the beginning of his turning from the world to the monastic life. Actually beginning as a commendatory abbot of La Trappe, he took his vows and become canonical abbot for the rest of his life. Wanting to return to a strict form of Benedictine rule, his reforms caught the spirit of the time, and the Cistercians of the Strict Observance (A movement which predates La Trappe) were catapulted towards an autonomous order. )Interestedly, it was the Trappists who fled to Switzerland during the French Revolution that actually defined what we NOW think of as Trappist life.)

This books goes into the 'penitent' spirituality that Rance established in his monastery, as well as the other aspects of his spirituality that became associated with the Strict Observance. Rance authored an enormous work (De La Saintete) that describes this spirituality, and the last section of this book attempts to explicate its major points.

Most of these types of biographies are rather dry, Hagiographacal, and difficult to penetrate..but not this one.

[Harry Allagree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This very well written, documented & balanced book on Rancé isn't a biography, though Bell refers to the two dozen or so biographies which have been written. Rather it's an extremely helpful guide to "his times, his country, his Order, his background, his learning, his conversion, and his character." Bell does this very well, especially with the crucial reminder that we must not measure Rancé through the perspectives, values, morals, etc. to which we're accustomed in the 21st century. Point in question: the longstanding writing off of Rancé by people -- especially even by many modern day Cistercians/Trappists -- who tend to be turned off by his "excessive" penances, way of life, treatment of his monks, etc. When examined in the proper context of 17th century life, Rancé comes off rather well as a truly significant leader & re-former in the Cistercian tradition. He was far from being a saint (and admitted it), but also far from being a wacko or devil. The bibliographical information on sources which Bell provides is superb.