New editions of Bernard Vitae

Paul Verdeyen, SJ, senior expert in Cistercian Studies, recently published a new critical edition of Bernard vitae in Sources chrétiennes no. 619 (2022). Raffaele Fassetta, OCSO, monk of Tamié, wrote the introductions. In his review in the Revue d’histoire ecclésiastique, Wim Verball notes that these new books with the medieval vitae compiled by William of Saint-Thierry, Arnold of Bonneval, and Geoffrey of Auxerre are desperately important for Cistercian scholars because of the uncertainty that abounds regarding the life of the famous abbot of Clairvaux.
A lot of that uncertainty comes from the wide distribution of excellent publications by Adriaan H. Bredero (1921–2007). In many books and articles, Bredero showed how the three vitae in question were heavily manipulated in order to get Bernard canonized faster (the canonization was in 1174).
Verbaal's review of the new edition is laudatory, but he makes an important point regarding Verdeyen's commentary and Fassetta's introduction: they take the medieval source texts too literally. His critique reminds readers that Bernard is considered to be one of the greatest rhetoricians of his day. His use of irony as well as layers of rhetorical strategy make it misleading to read texts by and about him at face value. Historians working with rhetorically-nuanced texts need to take more factors into consideration than just the letters on the page. Medieval hagiography is not to be used as documentary evidence for facts. Taking it literally can lead to flawed conclusions. At the end of his review, Verbaal encourages his readers to use Pranger (Bernard of Clairvaux and the shape of monastic thought), Bruun (Parables: Bernard of Clairvaux's mapping of spiritual topography), Newman (on narratives of Cistercian beginnings), Engh (performing the bride), Chapman (Sacred authority and temporal power in Bernard's writings), and more. See Wim Verbaal, Mélanges. Vie de Saint Bernard. RHE 119 (2024) 284–287.