Divinity Atlas
One Monk Wrote the Templars Into Existence
Deities and Sacred Figures and Orders, Societies and Movements meet at exactly one point in the atlas, and it is not a founder or a patron saint in the ordinary way. It is the monk who wrote the order's own defense.
The Most Listened to Man Who Held No Bishopric
Bernard of Clairvaux entered the reform monastery of Citeaux in 1113 and was sent two years later to found Clairvaux; by his death in 1153 the Cistercian order had grown from a handful of houses to several hundred, largely through him. He settled a disputed papal election, preached the Second Crusade, and pursued Peter Abelard to condemnation, all without ever holding a bishopric of his own.
In Praise of the New Knighthood
Among Bernard's writings is In Praise of the New Knighthood, his defense of the Knights Templar, the military order that combined monastic vows with the duties of a warrior to protect pilgrims and holy sites. His endorsement helped the order gain recognition and endowment across Christendom, the foundation of the network of estates and early financial system that supported the Crusades and, centuries later, made the order's sudden fall the lasting subject of legend it remains.
Where To Read More
- Bernard of ClairvauxSaintsThe monk whose written defense is the entire bridge to the Templars
- Knights TemplarMilitant SocietiesThe order his In Praise of the New Knighthood defended into recognition