A splendid Salzburg edition of the sermons of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), the Cistercian abbot, mystic, reformer, and Doctor of the Church. Bernard is one of the towering figures of medieval spirituality: his eloquence earned him the title Doctor Mellifluus (“honey-tongued Doctor”), and his mystical sermons, especially on the Song of Songs, shaped the contemplative imagination of Western Christianity for centuries.
Bernard’s importance in the history of mysticism cannot be overstated. His allegorical and affective readings of Scripture became foundational for medieval contemplative practice, influencing everyone from the Rhineland mystics to later Carmelite spirituality. For modern readers of esoterica, Bernard’s thought resonates as an exploration of divine union, the ascent of the soul, and the interior journey into the “mystical kiss” of the divine.
Historically, Bernard also played a pivotal role in sanctioning the rise of the Knights Templar, preaching the Second Crusade and writing the foundational text De laude novae militiae (“In Praise of the New Knighthood”), which offered spiritual legitimacy to the new order of warrior-monks. Through him, the monastic and mystical ideals of Cîteaux were fused with the martial and symbolic world of the Templars.
This volume is a magnificent contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, richly decorated with central arabesque panels and roll-tooled borders. Both original brass fore-edge clasps and catches are fully preserved and functional: an exceptional survival.
D. Bernardi Primi Claraevallensis Abbatis, Ordinis Cisterciensium Antefigniani, melliflui Ecclesiæ Doctoris, Sermones in Dominicas & Festa per annum. Salzburg: Ioan. Babtistae Mayr. Folio. 12 ff., 802 pp., 30 ff. With engraved allegorical title-page. Bound in contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, with two original brass clasps. Text with some toning, light staining, and evidence of devotional use, but generally clean and well-preserved. Overall a very good and complete example in a truly impressive period binding.
A splendid Salzburg edition of the sermons of St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), the Cistercian abbot, mystic, reformer, and Doctor of the Church. Bernard is one of the towering figures of medieval spirituality: his eloquence earned him the title Doctor Mellifluus (“honey-tongued Doctor”), and his mystical sermons, especially on the Song of Songs, shaped the contemplative imagination of Western Christianity for centuries.
Bernard’s importance in the history of mysticism cannot be overstated. His allegorical and affective readings of Scripture became foundational for medieval contemplative practice, influencing everyone from the Rhineland mystics to later Carmelite spirituality. For modern readers of esoterica, Bernard’s thought resonates as an exploration of divine union, the ascent of the soul, and the interior journey into the “mystical kiss” of the divine.
Historically, Bernard also played a pivotal role in sanctioning the rise of the Knights Templar, preaching the Second Crusade and writing the foundational text De laude novae militiae (“In Praise of the New Knighthood”), which offered spiritual legitimacy to the new order of warrior-monks. Through him, the monastic and mystical ideals of Cîteaux were fused with the martial and symbolic world of the Templars.
This volume is a magnificent contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, richly decorated with central arabesque panels and roll-tooled borders. Both original brass fore-edge clasps and catches are fully preserved and functional: an exceptional survival.
D. Bernardi Primi Claraevallensis Abbatis, Ordinis Cisterciensium Antefigniani, melliflui Ecclesiæ Doctoris, Sermones in Dominicas & Festa per annum. Salzburg: Ioan. Babtistae Mayr. Folio. 12 ff., 802 pp., 30 ff. With engraved allegorical title-page. Bound in contemporary blind-tooled pigskin over wooden boards, with two original brass clasps. Text with some toning, light staining, and evidence of devotional use, but generally clean and well-preserved. Overall a very good and complete example in a truly impressive period binding.
