Abbots and Abbesses as a Human Resource in the Ninth- To Twelfth-Century West

This volume collects ten previously published essays dealing with the development of Benedictine monasticism between c. 1050 - 1150. Relying on primary sources that originated in communities situated in the Southern Low Countries, the essays are arranged in three thematic sections. The first looks at the societal background, methodologies, and intended outcomes of 'Cluniac' reform around 1100. The second investigates reactions to reform, both within the monastic sphere and by outsiders. In the third section the focus is on groups of monks, and how they, their supporters, and their enemies all developed strategies of self-representation and self-positioning in the face of growing competition over landed wealth, patronage, and positions of social privilege.