Jean Leclercq
OSB (31 January 1911 – 27 October 1993), was a French
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monk, the author of classic studies on
Lectio Divina
In Western Christianity, ''Lectio Divina'' (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word. In the v ...
and the history of inter-monastic dialogue, as well as the life and
theology
Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...
of
Saint
In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...
. LeClercq is perhaps best known in the English speaking world for his seminal work ''The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture''.
Early life
Leclercq was born in
Avesnes
Avesnes (, Picard: ''Avinne'') is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France.
Geography
The commune is a very small village situated some 12 miles (19 km) northeast of Montreuil-sur-Mer, on the D 129 E 1.
Population
...
,
Pas-de-Calais
The Pas-de-Calais (, ' strait of Calais'; ; ) is a department in northern France named after the French designation of the Strait of Dover, which it borders. It has the most communes of all the departments of France, with 890, and is the ...
, in 1911 as the second of four children. His family moved a great deal due to the first world war. From 1920 to 1928 he attended the College of St-Pierre-de-Fourmies. As a young man, he sought to enter
Clervaux Abbey
The Abbey of St. Maurice and St. Maurus of Clervaux () (), founded in 1890, is a Benedictine monastery in Clervaux, Luxembourg. It is a member of the Solesmes Congregation in the Benedictine Confederation.
History
The abbey was founded by the Be ...
in
Luxembourg
Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...
as a brother, but was twice refused. Instead, he was finally accepted only as a postulant for the
priesthood. On 22 September 1928, he was received as a postulant. On 24 June 1929, he would be received as a novice. On 29 June 1930, he would make his simple vows as a
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monk
A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...
. He then began his two-year study of
Philosophy
Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...
at
Clervaux Abbey
The Abbey of St. Maurice and St. Maurus of Clervaux () (), founded in 1890, is a Benedictine monastery in Clervaux, Luxembourg. It is a member of the Solesmes Congregation in the Benedictine Confederation.
History
The abbey was founded by the Be ...
. Upon completion, he then served one year of military service as a second gunner in the artillery at
Metz
Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...
in Lorraine. He then moved to complete his theological studies at the
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
Pontifical University of Sant'Anselmo in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, from October 1933 to June 1937. He was ordained to the
priesthood on 19 September 1936. He then transferred to the
Institut Catholique of Paris to complete his final year of theological studies.
[Leloir, Louis. ''Dom Jean LeClercq'' (Cistercian Studies Series: Number Twenty-Three: Cistercian Publications-Consortium Press, Washington, DC, 1973), pp. 1–17.]
War years
While returning to Clervaux to teach Dogma for one year, it was the war that would change the trajectory of his life. In September 1939 he would be called to service in an anti-aircraft artillery battery. On the day before the invasion of Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg, he would defend his thesis at the
Institut Catholique of Paris on the subject of
John of Paris
John of Paris (in French ''Jean de Paris''), also called Jean Quidort and Johannes de Soardis (c. 1255 – September 22, 1306), was a French philosopher, theologian, and Dominican friar.
Life
John of Paris was born in Paris at an unknown da ...
, a disciple of
Thomas Aquinas
Thomas Aquinas ( ; ; – 7 March 1274) was an Italian Dominican Order, Dominican friar and Catholic priest, priest, the foremost Scholasticism, Scholastic thinker, as well as one of the most influential philosophers and theologians in the W ...
. He would spend time at other abbeys before undertaking research and cataloging Latin manuscripts at the
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The (; BnF) is the national library of France, located in Paris on two main sites, ''Richelieu'' and ''François-Mitterrand''. It is the national repository of all that is published in France. Some of its extensive collections, including bo ...
from 1941 to 1944. It was at
Engelberg Abbey
Engelberg Abbey () is a Benedictine monastery in Engelberg, Canton of Obwalden, Switzerland. It was formerly in the Diocese of Constance, but is now in the Diocese of Chur. It is dedicated to Our Lady of the Angels and occupies a commanding ...
in the winter of 1945–1946 that he would discover in their library some unpublished texts of Saint
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...
. It would be the beginning of his extensive work on the saint that would lead to the later publication of the critical edition of the complete works of Saint
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...
.
The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture
While Leclercq certainly became the
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of World history (field), global history. It began with the fall of the West ...
expert on the life of
Saint
In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...
, it would be another work that would cement his fame in the circle of
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
monasticism
Monasticism (; ), also called monachism or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual activities. Monastic life plays an important role in many Chr ...
. In the year 1956 Leclercq would begin a series of lectures both in Milan and at the
Benedictine University in Rome which would form the foundation of his later published work known in English as ''The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture''. He travelled throughout the United States in 1959 and would meet another famous monk,
Thomas Merton
Thomas Merton (January 31, 1915December 10, 1968), religious name M. Louis, was an American Trappist monk, writer, theologian, Christian mysticism, mystic, poet, social activist and scholar of comparative religion. He was a monk in the Trapp ...
. They would become life-long friends and correspond regularly on matters especially of monastic life. In these early years Leclercq would begin to offer to the world a decided shift in orientation in how monastic life and monastic theology was to be understood, lived, and taught.
Monastic life
From his vast survey of monastic history, Leclercq proposed that monastic life was ultimately about a contemplative life. He wrote that "Every clear definition of the monastic life will be inadequate since the reality of the spiritual character that constitutes it will always be richer and more mysterious than anyone can express". The scholar Gregory Penco noted how Lecercq helped nuance this understanding of monastic life since "the contemplative life was something different from contemplation in that the first indicated a general orientation of life whereas the second referred to higher and moments (therefore, the exceptional situations) of that same life." In essence, contemplation and the monastic life were not the same. A monk was always contemplative even if he lived it out in varying ways. For a contemplative life indicated a general orientation of life (sometimes called "eschatological" orientation) whereas contemplation were those special moments of grace. Thus, the main orientation and focus of a monk is eschatological irrespective of the task to which they have been assigned.
Monastic theology
The second major contribution in his work was to highlight what he found in his survey of Church history to be a distinctive ''Monastic Theology'' that had been overtaken by the more recent ''Scholastic Theology''. When Leclercq undertook to examine the
Rule of Saint Benedict
The ''Rule of Saint Benedict'' () is a book of precepts written in Latin by St. Benedict of Nursia (c. AD 480–550) for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot.
The spirit of Saint Benedict's Rule is summed up in the motto of th ...
, he found that monastic life was grounded in the monastery with a life of (1) Liturgy, (2) Scriptures, and (3) Church Fathers. Spiritually and theologically this was lived out in (1)
Lectio Divina
In Western Christianity, ''Lectio Divina'' (Latin for "Divine Reading") is a traditional monastic practice of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and to increase the knowledge of God's word. In the v ...
, (2) Meditation, (3) Prayer, and (4) Contemplation. For Monastic Theology, you would never separate spirituality from theology since they were so intertwined. From his overview of Church history, he then offered that approximately the first six centuries were grounded in a ''Patristic Theology''. This was followed by a ''Monastic Theology'' until approximately the 12th century, to be followed by approximately six centuries of ''Scholastic Theology''. Leclercq did not see Scholastic Theology as somehow in opposition to Monastic Theology, but rather complementary. Monastic Theology, in addition to the above items noted, would focus on such things as mystery, symbols, subjectivity and experience, ''Affectus Fidei'', and the dialectic. For Leclercq, the key is the ''Wisdom'' lens through which one does theology. For Monastic Theology is the lived reality of the faith interwoven in a significant spiritual experience of love and intelligence in order to know the mystery of God in a manner distinct from that which is purely intellectual and rational. Scholastic Theology, in contrast, would be grounded in the Schola with features such as lectures on questions and disputes and sentences, a focus on the ''Verita de Fede'' instead of mystery, the heavy use of definitions, a strong focus on objectivity and ''Intellectus Fidei'', and a systematic and analytic approach versus the dialectic approach. In this regard Leclercq especially liked to contrast the work of
Saint
In Christianity, Christian belief, a saint is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of sanctification in Christianity, holiness, imitation of God, likeness, or closeness to God in Christianity, God. However, the use of the ...
Bernard of Clairvaux
Bernard of Clairvaux, Cistercians, O.Cist. (; 109020 August 1153), venerated as Saint Bernard, was an abbot, Mysticism, mystic, co-founder of the Knights Templar, and a major leader in the reform of the Benedictines through the nascent Cistercia ...
with that of
Peter Abelard
Peter Abelard (12 February 1079 – 21 April 1142) was a medieval French scholastic philosopher, leading logician, theologian, teacher, musician, composer, and poet. This source has a detailed description of his philosophical work.
In philos ...
. Bernard's works was distinctively ''Sapienza'' where theology is the contemplation of God and involves love, affection, and speaking of faith only grounded in this. In contrast, Abelard's works focused on a teaching that was grounded in rationale and the ''scienza'' of the faith. The Dominican,
Marie-Dominique Chenu
Marie-Dominique Chenu (; 7 January 1895, Soisy-sur-Seine, Essonne – 11 February 1990, Paris) was a Catholic theologian and one of the founders of the reformist journal '' Concilium''.
Early life
Chenu was born on 7 January 1895 at Soisy-su ...
would echo this and proclaim that Saint
Anselm of Canterbury
Anselm of Canterbury OSB (; 1033/4–1109), also known as (, ) after his birthplace and () after his monastery, was an Italian Benedictine monk, abbot, philosopher, and theologian of the Catholic Church, who served as Archbishop of Canterb ...
was especially the bridge in these two theologies. In fact, Chenu would say that Monastic Theology and Scholastic Theology were two forms of medieval thought, equally legitimate and valid, and it would be wrong to call Monastic Theology, ''pre-scholastic''. For Leclercq, a helpful distinction was found in the methods: for Monastic Theology ''Lectio-Meditatio-Oratio-Contemplatio''; for Scholastic Theology ''Lectio-Quaestio-Disputatio-Interpretatio''. Leclercq had his supporters and detractors for his views, but his focus was certainly taken up by the Benedictines in the "Sapienza" direction of teaching at their Pontifical
Anselmianum
The Anselmianum, also known as the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm (; ) or simply ''Sant'Anselmo'', is a pontifical university in Rome associated with the Benedictines. It offers courses in philosophy, theology, liturgy, monastic studies, lan ...
in Rome.
Aide a l’Implantation Monastique (AIM)
''Aide a l’Implantation Monastique (AIM)'' begun in 1957 by Abbot Tholens of
Slangenburg in
Holland
Holland is a geographical regionG. Geerts & H. Heestermans, 1981, ''Groot Woordenboek der Nederlandse Taal. Deel I'', Van Dale Lexicografie, Utrecht, p 1105 and former provinces of the Netherlands, province on the western coast of the Netherland ...
, and Fr. Denis Martin, a member of a
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
foundation in
Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
. In their examination of monasticism in the developing countries, they became concerned that more assistance (financial, spiritual, and advisory) was needed for fledgling monastic institutions. They decided to form an organization to help coordinate assistance efforts for these
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
,
Cistercian
The Cistercians (), officially the Order of Cistercians (, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint Benedict, as well as the contri ...
and
Trappist
The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance (, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a Religious order (Catholic), Catholic religious o ...
men and women throughout the world. Jean Leclercq was instrumental in those early years of AIM and would travel throughout the world. He made his first visit in 1962 on behalf of AIM to the monastery of Toumlinine in
Morocco
Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...
and would return again in 1964. AIM would delegate him to take part in the first meeting of monks of Africa at
Bouaké
Bouaké (or Bwake, N'Ko script, N’ko: ߓߐ߰ߞߍ߫ ''Bɔ̀ɔkɛ́'') is the second-largest list of cities in Ivory Coast, city in Ivory Coast, with a population of 740,000 (2021 census). It is the seat of three levels of subdivisions of Ivory ...
in the
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire and officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital city of Yamoussoukro is located in the centre of the country, while its largest List of ci ...
in 1964. This would be followed by trips to the following countries:
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Ghana to Ghana–Togo border, the west, Benin to Benin–Togo border, the east and Burkina Faso to Burkina Faso–Togo border, the north. It is one of the le ...
,
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
,
Senegal
Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, is the westernmost country in West Africa, situated on the Atlantic Ocean coastline. It borders Mauritania to Mauritania–Senegal border, the north, Mali to Mali–Senegal border, the east, Guinea t ...
,
Uganda
Uganda, officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the ...
,
Kenya
Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
,
Tanzania
Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...
,
Rwanda
Rwanda, officially the Republic of Rwanda, is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa, where the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa converge. Located a few degrees south of the Equator, Rwanda is bordered by ...
,
Congo-Kinshasa
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (the last ambiguously also referring to the neighbouring Republic of the Congo), is a country in Central Africa. By land area, it is t ...
,
Burundi
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is located in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Great Lakes region and Southeast Africa, with a population of over 14 million peop ...
,
Madagascar
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
,
Thailand
Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
,
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
,
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
,
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
,
Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
,
Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
,
Martinique
Martinique ( ; or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the eastern Caribbean Sea. It was previously known as Iguanacaera which translates to iguana island in Carib language, Kariʼn ...
,
Korea
Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...
,
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
,
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
,
England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
,
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
,
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, and the
United States of America
The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguo ...
.
Works
The most complete bibliography of his works may be found in E. Rozanne Elder, ed, ''The Joy of Learning and the Love of God: Studies in Honor of Jean Leclercq'' (Cistercian Studies Series: Number 160, Kalamazoo, MI, 1995), pp 414–498. His articles and books number 1053 items and he was described as "the most influential of all contemporary historians of the Middle Ages" and "the most prolific medievalist of the past fifty years."
[Elder, E. Rozanne, ed. ''The Joy of Learning and the Love of God: Studies in Honor of Jean Leclercq'' (Cistercian Studies Series: Number 160, Kalamazoo, MI, 1995).]
Centre Jean Leclercq
On 20 April 2020, a new "Centre/Centro Jean Leclecq" was founded at the
Benedictine
The Benedictines, officially the Order of Saint Benedict (, abbreviated as O.S.B. or OSB), are a mainly contemplative monastic order of the Catholic Church for men and for women who follow the Rule of Saint Benedict. Initiated in 529, th ...
Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm
The Anselmianum, also known as the Pontifical Athenaeum of Saint Anselm (; ) or simply ''Sant'Anselmo'', is a pontifical university in Rome associated with the Benedictines. It offers courses in philosophy, theology, liturgy, monastic studies, lan ...
in
Rome
Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
. The stated purpose was to research and promote the "Leclercqian perspective for interdisciplinary dialogue between history, spirituality, philosophy, theology and liturgy."
Centre Jean Leclercq
/ref>
Notes
Further reading
*Leclercq, Jean. ''Memoirs: From Grace to Grace'', (Petersham, MA, 2000) eclercq's memoirs
*Leclercq, Jean. ''Cultura umanistica e desiderio di Dio'' (Sansoni: Italy, 1965).
*''Bernard of Clairvaux: Studies Presented to Dom Jean Leclercq'', 1973 .
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leclercq, Jean
1911 births
1993 deaths
People from Pas-de-Calais
Benedictine scholars
French Benedictines
Pontifical Atheneum of St. Anselm alumni
Luxembourgian Benedictines
20th-century French Roman Catholic priests
Luxembourgian Roman Catholic priests
Corresponding Fellows of the Medieval Academy of America
Corresponding fellows of the British Academy