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Stephen Harding, St
Stephen Harding, St (d.1134). Third abbot of Cîteaux. A native and monk of Sherborne (Dorset), Stephen joined the abbey of Molesme near Dijon. Fervently ascetic, he helped Abbot Robert tighten Benedictine life there, but, facing opposition, they left for Cîteaux, a barren, marshy place, to follow the rule more rigorously. Stephen, the driving force, became third abbot (1109), but Cistercian austerity caused numbers to decline until Bernard's arrival (1111) with 30 followers retrieved the situation; the order revived and spread, Stephen himself founding thirteen other houses and appointing Bernard abbot of Clairvaux. He wrote Carta caritatis (1119), which was Cistercianism's foundation document, and with its centralized structure, its annual visitation, and general chapters became a model for all future religious foundations. Stephen's administrative ability complementing Bernard's emotional appeal made Cistercianism spread rapidly—over 100 Cistercian houses were founded in his lifetime, the first in England at Waverley, Surrey (1128).
Revd Dr William M. Marshall |
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JOHN CANNON. "Stephen Harding, St." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Stephen Harding, St." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-StephenHardingSt.html JOHN CANNON. "Stephen Harding, St." The Oxford Companion to British History. 2002. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O110-StephenHardingSt.html |
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Saint Stephen Harding
Saint Stephen Harding c.1060–1134, English monastic reformer. He entered the abbey at Sherborne in his youth; later (c.1077) he went to the Molesme abbey (near Châtillon-sur-Seine) in Burgundy. In 1098 he joined his abbot, St. Robert (d. 1111), in founding at Cîteaux a new abbey, where the Rule of St. Benedict might be observed in primitive rigor. Stephen was abbot there from c.1109 and from his abbacy date the Cistercians ; the spirit and organization of that order reflect St. Stephen's ideas. These are embodied in the Chart of Charity (c.1119); this, the main Cistercian constitutional paper, is a landmark in the course of Western monasticism. He supported with paternal affection the work of St. Bernard of Clairvaux . Feast: Apr. 17; among Cistercians, July 16.
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"Saint Stephen Harding." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. "Saint Stephen Harding." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-StphnH.html "Saint Stephen Harding." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-StphnH.html |
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Stephen Harding, St
Stephen Harding, St (d. 1134). Third abbot of Cîteaux. A native and monk of Sherborne (Dorset), Stephen joined the abbey of Molesme near Dijon. Fervently ascetic, he helped Abbot Robert tighten Benedictine life there, but, facing opposition, they left for Cîteaux to follow the rule more rigorously. Stephen, the driving force, became third abbot (1109), but Cistercian austerity caused numbers to decline until Bernard's arrival (1111) with 30 followers retrieved the situation. Stephen himself founded thirteen other houses and appointed Bernard abbot of Clairvaux. He wrote Carta caritatis (1119), which was Cistercianism's foundation document. Cistercianism spread rapidly—over 100 Cistercian houses were founded in Stephen's lifetime, the first in England at Waverley, Surrey (1128).
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Cite this article
JOHN CANNON. "Stephen Harding, St." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. JOHN CANNON. "Stephen Harding, St." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-StephenHardingSt.html JOHN CANNON. "Stephen Harding, St." A Dictionary of British History. 2004. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O43-StephenHardingSt.html |
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Stephen Harding, St
Stephen Harding, St (d.1134), abbot of Cîteaux. A monk of Molesme, he was part of the community that went to Cîteaux in 1098. He became abbot in 1109. The monastery was in danger of extinction when St Bernard and 30 followers joined the community in 1112. The sudden increase in numbers soon necessitated other foundations. In order to maintain the original austerity and uniform government, Stephen drew up the nucleus of the Carta Caritatis, which established the system of regular visitations and General Chapters in the Cistercian Order. Feast day, 26 Jan. (formerly 17 Apr. and 16 July).
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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Stephen Harding, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Stephen Harding, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-StephenHardingSt.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Stephen Harding, St." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-StephenHardingSt.html |
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Harding, St Stephen
Harding, St Stephen. See STEPHEN HARDING, ST.
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Cite this article
E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Harding, St Stephen." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>. E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Harding, St Stephen." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (June 1, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-HardingStStephen.html E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "Harding, St Stephen." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-HardingStStephen.html |
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