The Monastic Ideal as a Model for Empire: The Case of Louis the Pious

Tears for Fears: Alienation and Authority in the World of Benedict of Aniane

“…Following this narrative, Benedict's conversion entailed much more than one dramatic -or even traumatic -experience. Even after he had made up his mind, he still had to be accepted by his social world, which held the monastic ideal in high esteem but could hardly afford to turn the empire into a monastery writ large (de Jong, 2005;Noble, 1976). Ardo's goal was not to explain Benedict's decision or even justify it.…”

Wondering about Comparison: Enclaves of Learning in Medieval Europe and South Arabia – Prolegomena to an Intercultural Comparative Research Project

“…These reforms arguably reached their apex in the last decades of the reign of Charlemagne -set in motion with the issuing of the famous Admonitio Generalis of 789 -and the first half of the reign of Louis the Pious, who actually incorporated a considerable amount of monastic ideology in his 'model for empire'. 44 However, they should really be seen as a continuous process of negotiations between prelates and nobility, with the court setting itself up as the ultimate arbiter in the best tradition of the Christian Roman emperors of Late Antiquity. 45 Needless to say, education, learning and knowledge stood at the centre of this improvement movement.…”

…ut normam salutiferam cunctis ostenderet : représentations de l’autorité impériale dans la Vita Benedicti Anianensis et la Vita Adalhardi

“…En dehors de ce que racontent les Vitae à première vue, il reste encore beaucoup à étudier avant que nous puissions vraiment les contextualiser et les comprendre. Il ne serait pas suffisant de prendre la remarque d'Hildemar, citée plus haut, au pied de la lettre, pour conclure que le conflit entre les deux saints abbés au sujet des réformes monastiques est encore visible dans leurs Vitae respectives ; ni de dire que « l'idéal monastique sert de modèle à l'empire » 82 . Il faut ajouter plutôt que Benoît avait senti l'importance de l'unité de l'Église franque au cours de sa lutte contre l'adoptianisme ; que les réformes prévues devaient aussi avoir des conséquences sur la gestion des terres monastiques, ce qui pourrait avoir influencé les intentions de Paschase 83 .…”