Sacred Authority and Temporal Power in the Writings of Bernard of Clairvaux by Alice Chapman (review)

A topic well known to Germanists, the Investiture Controversy of the eleventh and twelfth centuries has formed a framework for medievalists studying history, religion, and literature. In her book on Bernard of Clairvaux’s writings on the relationship between the Church and state, Alice Chapman makes a detailed study available to the English-speaking world. In the years following the Concordat of Worms in 1122, debates and efforts ensued to effect a cooperation between ecclesiastical and temporal power and authority. Chapman explores the language employed by Bernard that delineated the spheres of influence and served to mediate ideologically and politically.

Chapman provides a comprehensive introduction outlining the content of the five chapters of the book. Her premise is the use by Bernard of the words auctoritas (authority) and potestas (power). She sees the use of these terms as having their beginnings in a distinction made by Gelasius I in a letter to Emperor Anastasius in 494, referred to as the ‘two swords theory’, of difference between ecclesiastical and imperial power. Though Bernard does not cite Gelasius anywhere, his use of these terms demonstrates his concept of a more complementary relationship between the powers.

Chapman proposes that a linguistic analysis of Bernard’s works advances insights into Bernard’s understanding of the relationship between royal power and ecclesiastical authority, and she has made good use of electronic media to search his works. The work of Mary Stroll is used to ‘shed light on the political situation following the Investiture Controversy’ (p. 6) and to give an assessment of pontiffs and emperors during this period. Chapman makes the point that she does not address in detail the concept of jurisdiction and other terms associated with power and authority, such as vis (force) and licentia (license).

The first chapter introduces the Gelasian thesis and its historical development, arguing that Gelasius’s distinction between auctoritas and potestas was used to uphold and promote the position of the Church. Chapter 2 explores Bernard’s use of these terms, noting that potestas had a broader application in Bernard’s writings, and that it was not merely a counterpart to auctoritas. Chapman addresses Bernard’s concept of the order of creation and ecclesiastical unity, as well as the issue of ambition and responsibility creating disorder in the Church.

In Chapter 4, the authority of the Roman See is further explored in terms of Bernard’s apostolica auctoritas. Chapman examines Bernard’s language in his De consideratione and his letters of advice to his former pupil Eugenius III. Here Chapman explores the influence of the language of the classical Roman senate and senatorial auctoritas, including a discussion on the difference between the use of ministerium and dominium. As an example, Chapman presents a letter from Bernard to Sancia, the niece of the Infanta Elvira of Spain, during a dispute between two Benedictine houses, in which Bernard attributes auctoritas to royal Sancia in negotiating a solution.

Chapter 5 serves as a consolidation of Bernard’s understanding and concept of ecclesiastical and temporal realms, always making use of his language. There is a further assessment of the use of his terms historically, with reference to their use in the Vulgate, that influenced the Christian understanding and interpretation of these classical expressions, and where potestas occurs more frequently, auctoritas being used only once. Chapman’s conclusion argues for Bernard’s subtlety as opposed to Gelasius’s distinction, and gives an overview of how ecclesiastical independence and the debate surrounding power progressed from Innocent III to Boniface VIII. Though meticulous, Chapman acknowledges the difficulty in deciphering Bernard’s personal opinions in his works, alluding to suggestions for further study in this area.

The book has a comprehensive bibliography and the index is useful for tracing historical figures mentioned. The inclusion of political and ideological developments and historical figures make this primarily linguistic study enjoyable and informative, and...