The Cistercian Arts – Reviewed by the Catholic Historical Review

In the upcoming issue of Catholic Historical Review, Lesley Milner takes a look at The Cistercian Arts, From the 12th to the 21st Century edited by Terryl N. Kinder and Roberto Cassanelli. Below is an excerpt from the review as well as a link to some of the wonderful images found in this title.

The Cistercian Arts is a magnificent compilation of scholarship that is truly synoptic. Here the splendors ofarchitecture and art, which have traditionally drawn the attention of scholars, can be seen and apprehended, but they also can be seen together across a vastly extended range of Cistercian creativity. The reader can explore medieval Cistercian churches as well as learn about medieval mills and granges. The scholar is introduced to manuscripts, and medieval sacra vasa and seals. Furthermore, this summa of Cistercian productivity extends geographical boundaries so that information and illustrations are provided on Cistercian architecture in France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Hungary, and the Baltic regions. Above all, this synopsis allows the reader to see the entire field of Cistercian creation over time, since it encompasses not simply the medieval period but also the period between the order’s inception in 1098 and the present day. As Terryl N. Kinder says in her introduction, “this diversity represents the creativity of many people from widely different cultures and places and centuries, revealing a rich panoply that makes up the Cistercian order over time” (p. 9). Finally, the book is synoptic in that it allows the reader to see the fruits of the many different types and nationalities of experts who have contributed to this magnum opus. Essays by academic art and architectural historians are integrated with those by theologians, practicing architects, as well as Cistercian monks and nuns, all of different backgrounds and nationalities. Thus the reader is introduced to the sheer diversity of Cistercian studies.

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Read the full review in the March 2016 print edition of the Catholic Historical Review.

Learn more about The Cistercian Arts, From the 12th to the 21st Century