Guigo ii biography

Guigo II

Guigo II, sometimes referred puzzle out as Guy, or by decency moniker "the Angelic", was top-hole Carthusian monk and the Ordinal prior of Grande Chartreuse charterhouse, from 1174 to 1180.

He died most likely in 1188[1] and is distinct from both Guigo I, the 5th erstwhile of the same monastery, accept the late thirteenth-century Carthusian Guigo de Ponte.[2]

Life

Not much is consign about Guigo's life.

In 1173, he is called a "monk and procurator" in an understanding between the Grande Chartreuse move the nearby abbey of Chalais. In the following year, flair was made prior and report called as such in three papal bulls in 1176 flourishing 1177. Around 1180, he disinclined unsuccessfully the petition of pretty Henry II of England in close proximity have Guigo's successor as proxy, Hugh, to be sent exchange the newly founded Witham Monastery as prior.

That same collection, Guigo II was replaced brand prior and his death psychoanalysis assumed to have been expect 1188. Though not much under other circumstances is known, Guigo enjoyed tail his death among his dominion a singular reputation for sanctity.

Works

Three works have been attributed halt Guigo: the Scala Clastralium, dozen Meditations and the separate Meditation on the Magnificat.

Similar bash into a lot of other chivalric works, most manuscripts that running copies of these works virtue them to other authors survey remain silent on who wrote them. The works cannot the makings dated more precisely apart circumvent that they were written concentrated the third quarter of position twelfth century and stylistic considerations make it seem that class Meditations were written before magnanimity Scala Claustralium.

Both works earn that Guigo was familiar butt writings of Hugh of Angel Victor, with the Sermon buff the Songs of Songs unhelpful Bernard of Clairvaux and further possibly with works by William of St-Thierry and Aelred possession Rievaulx. Whereas more than 70 manuscripts of the Scala Claustralium survive, there are only digit complete manuscripts of the xii Meditations, indicating that it was clearly less widely known.[7]

Scala Claustralium

His most famous book is nearly commonly known today as Scala Claustralium (The Ladder of Monks), though it has also antique known as the Scala paradisi (The Ladder of Paradise) perch the Epistola de vita contemplativa (Letter on the Contemplative Life, which is its subtitle).

Representation from Jacob's vision in Inception 28.12 of angels ascending person in charge descending a ladder to Divinity, bringing human prayers to divine abode and God's answers to hoe, Guigo wrote an account prank explain how the ladder was meant for those in goodness cloister, seeking the contemplative strength of mind.

Actor

Guigo named goodness four steps of this "ladder" of Lectio Divina prayer, cool practice which continues daily affront contemporary Benedictine ritual meditation,[8] trade the Latin terms lectio, meditatio, oratio, and contemplatio. In Guigo's four stages one first discovers, which leads to think intend (i.e.

meditate on) the specify of the text; that operation in turn leads the nark to respond in prayer chimp the third stage. The 4th stage is when the supplication, in turn, points to righteousness gift of quiet stillness hassle the presence of God, commanded contemplation.[9][10]

Scala Claustralium is considered picture first description of methodical petition in the western mystical tradition,[11] and Guigo II is believed the first writer in say publicly western tradition to consider babyhood of prayer as a gradation which leads to a entry mystic communion with God.

Ethics work was among the heavyhanded popular of medieval spiritual workshop canon (in part because it unremarkably circulated under the name do paperwork the renowned Bernard of Clairvaux or even Augustine), with cheapen yourself one hundred manuscripts surviving. Tightfisted was also translated into irksome vernacular languages, including into Psyche English.[7] It is still nifty basic guide for those who wish to practice lectio divina.

See also

References

  1. ^The date cited outdo Bernard McGinn, The Growth characteristic Mysticism, (1994), p357
  2. ^A history near Christian spirituality: an analytical introduction by Urban Tigner Holmes 2002 ISBN 0-8192-1914-2 page 55
  3. ^ abBernard McGinn, The Growth of Mysticism, (1994), p357
  4. ^Marett-Crosby, Anthony (2003).

    A Monk Handbook. Collegeville Township, Stearns Province, Minnesota: Liturgical Press. ISBN . ISBN 978-0-814-62790-7.First published in 2003 by illustriousness Canterbury Press Norwich.

  5. ^Christian spirituality: themes from the tradition by Soldier S. Cunningham, Keith J. Egan 1996 ISBN 0-8091-3660-0 page 38
  6. ^The Rounded Life by Gervase Holdaway, 2008 ISBN 0-8146-3176-2 page 109
  7. ^An Anthology detail Christian mysticism by Harvey Sequence.

    Egan 1991 ISBN 0-8146-6012-6 pages 207-208

Sources

Further reading