Gilbert the Great (died 17 October 1167) was an

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

monk and theologian who served as the ninth abbot of Cîteaux from 1163 until his death.G. R. Evans (2004)
"Gilbert "
''

Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...

''. Retrieved 5 July 2022. Abbaye_Notre-Dame_d'Ourscamp_07

Prior to coming to Cîteaux, Gilbert served as the abbot of from 1143. In 1164, he wrote the statutes of the

Order of Calatrava The Order of Calatrava ( es, Orden de Calatrava, pt, Ordem de Calatrava) was one of the four Spanish military orders and the first military order founded in Castile, but the second to receive papal approval. The papal bull confirming the Orde ...

. In 1165, he received from

Pope Alexander III Pope Alexander III (c. 1100/1105 – 30 August 1181), born Roland ( it, Rolando), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 September 1159 until his death in 1181. A native of Siena, Alexander became pope after a con ...

the exemption of the Cistercians from episcopal jurisdiction. When, in 1166, the dispute between King

Henry II of England Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), also known as Henry Curtmantle (french: link=no, Court-manteau), Henry FitzEmpress, or Henry Plantagenet, was King of England from 1154 until his death in 1189, and as such, was the first Angevin king ...

and Archbishop

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

embroiled the Cistercians, Gilbert asked Becket to leave

Pontigny Abbey Pontigny Abbey (french: Abbaye de Pontigny), the church of which in recent decades has also been the cathedral of the Mission de France, otherwise the Territorial Prelature of Pontigny (french: Cathédrale-abbatiale de Notre-Dame-de-l’Assompt ...

, where he was staying. Gilbert was nicknamed "the Great" in his own time, but the reason is unknown. Of his writings, three letters to King

Louis VII of France Louis VII (1120 – 18 September 1180), called the Younger, or the Young (french: link=no, le Jeune), was King of the Franks from 1137 to 1180. He was the son and successor of King Louis VI (hence the epithet "the Young") and married Duchess ...

are preserved. A biblical commentary and some works on theological distinctions have been attributed to him, but these attributions are uncertain.

John Bale John Bale (21 November 1495 – November 1563) was an English churchman, historian and controversialist, and Bishop of Ossory in Ireland. He wrote the oldest known historical verse drama in English (on the subject of King John), and developed ...

credited him with a commentary on the '' Song of Songs''.

References

{{reflist 1167 deaths English Cistercians Cistercian abbots general