A Study Of The Monastic Thoughts And Monastic Practice Of Heloise

Heloise(1101?—1163/64?) was a great woman of 12 th Century. Nowadays, Heloise also is a household person in the west. She occupies an important seat in the western culture. The love story of Heloise and Abelard has been spread for hundreds of years. Also, Heloise was a famous abbess of 12 th Century. At that time, her particular monastic thoughts and monastic practice had a profound impact.This thesis combines the background of the 12 th century with the life experience of Heloise, and explores the monastic thoughts and practice of Heloise, in order to form a further understanding of the status of Heloise in the west culture history.It is divided into three chapters.Chapter one: The background of the formation of Heloise’s monastic thoughts. From the two aspects of the time background and individual factors, this chapter analyzes the cause of the formation of Heloise’s monastic thoughts. Heloise’s monastic thoughts are the products of both the diversified social environment in 12 th century and Heloise’s particular personal experience.Chapter two: The monastic thoughts of Heloise. This chapter introduces the positive process of Heloise’s conversion, discusses Heloise’s critique of the Rule of Benedictine, and elaborates Heloise’s innovation of women monasticism which is also called the humanistic women monasticism of Heloise.Chapter three: The monastic practice of Heloise. This chapter discusses the Heloise’s monastic practice successively in the Argenteuil and the Paraclete. In the Argenteuil, she becomes a prioress. As a abbess of the Paraclete, she governs the Paraclete in its social and economic setting, which promotes the development of the Paraclete.