Contents Acknowledgments xiii List of Abbreviations xvii Introduction: Why Humility? xix Chapter 1: Virtue or Vice? Humility among the Virtues 1 1.1 The Lost Virtue? Humility in the Modern World 2 1.2 Humility and Virtue in the Greco-Roman World 6 1.2.1 Aristotle, Eudaimonia , and Megalopsychos 8 1.2.2 Humility as a Condition of the Socially Inferior 15 1.3 Humility in the Judeo-Christian World 17 1.
4 Humility among the Virtues 24 1.5 The Return of the Virtues 30 1.6 A New Monastic Turn? 32 1.7 Conclusion 33 Chapter 2: Humility and the Self: Desert Monasticism 37 2.1 The Literature of Early Desert Monasticism 41 2.2 From the City to the Desert: Locating the Self in the World 46 2.2.1 The Desert: A Place of Humility 46 2.
2.2 Abba Arsenius: The Downward Journey of the Desert 51 2.3 Between Heaven and Earth: Locating the Self in Eternity 59 2.3.1 Anthony and the Open Heavens 59 2.3.2 Judgment and Humility 64 2.4 Habits of the Desert: The Practice of Humility 67 2.
5 Turning the Other Cheek: The Humiliated Self 75 2.6 Conclusion 84 Interlude: From the Desert to the Cloister 87 Chapter 3: Humility and Community: The Rule of Saint Benedict 95 3.1 The Rule of Saint Benedict in Context 97 3.2 Communal Eschatology: "All Together to Everlasting Life" (RB 72.12) 105 3.2.1 From a School of Suffering to a School of Love: Prologue 45-50 107 3.2.
2 Together, with Ardent Love: RB 72 111 3.3 The Ladder of Humility 115 3.3.1 RB 7 and Its Pedigree: Cassian, the Master, and Benedict 116 3.3.2 The Ladder of Humility: Metaphor and Theology 122 3.3.3 The Ladder of Humility in Communit y 131 3.
4 Practicing Humility in the Monastic Workshop 134 3.5 The Monastic Polis : A Place of Humility 136 3.6 The Yoke of Service: Humble Love and the Monastery Kitchen 144 3.7 The Bread of Obedience: The Difficult Heart of Humility 152 3.8 The Raven at the Table: Benedict Practices Humility 159 3.9 Conclusion 162 Chapter 4: Humility and Public Life: Bernard of Clairvaux 165 4.1 The Problem with Bernard 170 4.1.
1 Life and Work 170 4.1.2 Character and Cult 173 4.1.3 Writing and Rhetoric 176 4.2 Bernard and Humility: On the Steps of Humility and Pride 182 4.2.1 The Fall from Humility: A Phenomenology of Pride 184 4.
2.2 Humility and Truth 187 4.2.3 The Birth of Compassion: Humility and Love 195 4.2.4 Two Types of Humility: Cold and Warm 196 4.2.5 The Humility of God 198 4.
2.6 Assenting to Grace: The Practice of Obedience and the Conversion of the Will 201 4.3 Bernard and the World 204 4.3.1 The Virtuous Christian Community 205 4.3.2 Contemplation and Action 211 4.4 Humility and Public Life: On the Conduct and Office of Bishops 214 4.
4.1 Monastic Virtues for Public Life: Chastity, Charity, Humility 219 4.4.2 Pride: An Interior View 222 4.4.3 Pride: An Exterior View 224 4.4.4 Obedience and Public Life 226 4.
5 Practicing Humility in Public Life: The Life of Saint Malachy 229 4.6 Bernard the Juggler: Humility and Failure 231 4.7 Bernard and the Florentine Republic 235 4.8 Conclusion 239 Chapter 5: Humility and the Other: Christian de Chergé and the Monks of Tibhirine 243 5.1 Christian de Chergé: A Vocation to Algeria 247 5.1.1 Childhood and Education 247 5.1.
2 Algeria: Formative Encounters 248 5.1.3 Ordination and Monastic Vocation 250 5.2 The Cistercians in Algeria 251 5.3 Tibhirine: An Emerging Vocation 253 5.4 Bribes d''humilité : "Scraps of Humility" 255 5.4.1 Humility: A Divine Climat 257 5.
4.2 Humility and Obedience 259 5.5 The Eschatological Horizon: Hope and Humility 261 5.5.1 "I Place Death before My Eyes" 262 5.5.2 Pilgrims of the Horizon 264 5.5.
3 Reimagining Benedict''s Ladder: The Chapter Talks 268 5.5.4 The Mystical Ladder of Dialogue: The Journées Romaines Lecture 272 5.6 L''AUTRE que nous attendons : "The OTHER for Whom We Wait" 274 5.6.1 Space for "the Other" 277 5.7 Practicing Humility in "the School of the Other" 280 5.7.
1 Hospitality and the Monastery Wall 280 5.7.2 Monasticism and Islam 284 5.7.3 La "grisaille" du quotidian : Ordinary Time 286 5.7.4 Ora et Labora 288 5.7.
5 Work: The Monastery Garden 289 5.7.6 Prayer: The Daily Office 291 5.7.7 Priants parmi d''autre priants 294 5.8 Martyrdom: The End of Humility? 298 5.8.1 Loving to the End 298 5.
8.2 Humility and the Hostile Other 303 5.9 Conclusion 305 Conclusion: Reclaiming Humility for the Twenty-First Century 307 Reclaiming the Way of Humility 308 Reclaiming an Eschatological Orientation 310 Reclaiming the Material Face of Humility 311 Reintegrating Humility and Humiliation 313 References 317.