Introduction
Saint Aelred is considered to be one of the most notable figures in history whose works had a significant influence on western culture. Aelred was born in Hexham in 1109. His father who was a married priest, send him to the court of King David I of Scotland where he spend several years. (Sommerfeldt 12) Aelred would later rise to be a master of the household but he eventually left the court and entered the Cistercian monastery at the Rievaulx Abbey in the year 1133. By 1142 he had become the new abbot of a new house of his order at Revesby in Lincolnshire. In 1147 he become the abbot of the Rievaulx itself and spent the rest of his life in the monastery. He made visits to other Cistercian houses in England and Scotland. During his tenure at the monastery, he made a considerable increase in the size of the abbey. (Dutton 408)
General contribution
Aelred contributed a lot to the western world; he was a writer, a historian, and a monk. Aelred is remembered for his extraordinary gentleness and patience to the people who worked under him as the head of Cistercian abbots in England, it is also remembered in an incident while he still lived with the king; a senior person in those times insulted him before the king while he served as a master of household (the operational head of the “below stairs” essentials of the royal family of the sovereign of the united kingdom) and Aelred thanked him for his sincerity in correcting him. He always approached issues with a lot of tranquility and he had the habit of asking for pardon immediately he was corrected and with a lot of sincerity and calmness. Aelred always desired to be a man of God, but he was so much attached to his friends that he took so much time to break the bonds which forced him to leave Scotland to Austere in Cistercian order. He first become a monk at the age of 24 under the first Abbot, William, who was a disciple of Saint Bernard, it this during this time that Aelred devoted a lot of his time to prayer and reading. He satisfied his desire to be a man of God and these made him love and adore Cistercian disciplines which he described as “sweetness and light”. While still a youth he was delighted with reading the works of Cicero and others like him, but now as a monk, he shunned such authors unless they wrote about the word of God. This can be found in the preface of his book ‘On spiritual friendship’. Aelred emulated a holy monk called Simon who had forsaken a high family status, wealth, and all other material advantages to serve God in the penitential state. This monk acted as deaf and dumb, his mind was always focused on God and he would utter very few words on a given occasion. Aelred says that “ the very sight of his humility stifled my ardor to the love of God and this made him feel all pride and made me blush at the want of mortification of my looks” This holy monk served God for eight years in perfect loyalty and died in 1142. This holy monk contributed so much to Saint Aelred’s mildness and humility in serving God and dealing with other people. (Dutton 124-145)
Saint Aelred was considered to be one of the finest monks at the Rievaulx and he was accorded so much respect for that, he was chosen to represent the monastery in Rome when a dispute arose due to Fitzherbert’s elevation to the Archiepisopate York. His contribution to that case elevated his status and it’s upon his return to Rievaulx he was appointed master of the novices and soon after he was, against his will, elevated to be Abbot of a new monastery in his order at Revesby in Lincolnshire where he served for four years. At the end o this period he was recalled and made to hold the same position at Rievaulx( The Abbot of Rievaulx was the head of the Cistercian monastic community of Rievaulx Abbey which was founded in 1131 by Walter 1’Espec in North Yorkshire, northern England). Under his tenure, the Rievaulx abbey prospered in lips and bounds to the point that it became the largest in England. The abbey was home to several monks, hundreds of lay brothers, and many branches were established within the territory. In his works, Aelred describes the lives of his brethren as being that of very hard work and devotion which ensured the prosperity of the monastery gained a lot of popularity through his writings and vast friends. Aelred became so popular that he was adored throughout the nation; he was even honored to preside over the masses during the transformation of St Edward. He later wrote about the saint and gave a sermon in his praise. In the year that followed Aelred embarked on a mission to the Pictish Tribes, the chief there was so influenced by Aelred that he too became a monk Throughout his final years, Aelred showed an amazing example of daring patience. He was, however, so disciplined that some described him as being more of a ghost than a human being. (Dutton 409)
Contribution to history and spiritualism through writing
Aelred wrote many influential books; His works have appeared in translation in English and French. He wrote several works on spirituality that emphasized people relying on the spiritual rather than the material world. Among the works on this topic is The Mirror of Charity which is believed to have been written at the request of Bernard of Clairvaux, a French Abbot and the initiator of the reforms of the Cistercian monastic order. His other work on spirituality were; on spiritual friendship, Jesus as a Boy of Twelve, Pastoral Prayer, and On the Soul. Related Also contributed a lot to history he was regarded as a historian till much later. His sexual orientation which is evident mostly in his works on spiritualism may have had a role to play to make him be regarded as a historian when he had done so much on religion. His work is on history include Rule of Life for a Recluse, Genealogy of the Kings of the English, the life of saint Ninian, Lament for the Death of King David of Scotland King and Confessor His works on history have therefore contributed a lot to the general history and especially that of the Royal family of United Kingdom. (Dutton 407-420)
Contribution to sexual perception and orientation
Aelred’s sexual orientation has been a subject of much discussion in the past. Private letters and some of his works seem to point to the fact that he was a homosexual. In these other written works “private letters” these were found in the writings of Walter Daniel who was a twelfth-century monk of the Rievaulx. Walter’s writing life has led some scholars to conclude that Aelred was a homosexual. In on the spiritual friendship Aelred wrote that when he was still a schoolboy, he was so attracted to his friends, and because of his immaturity, he was taken away by the emotions and fell in love with them. He further says that at that age they love he was giving and receiving from his friends was the sweetest experience he ever had. (Squire, A.154) Aelred has been described as having a homosexual orientation, has been adored by many homosexual organizations in the world. The above pull-out seems to approve these though other several writings could point to this direction. In his eulogy at the funeral of Simon, he said so much in prays of Simon, and some of the things he said were so sentimental that they pointed towards the direction of a homosexual relationship. By describing Simon as a person whose love refreshed him after a hard day of labor and who gave him happiness when he was sad (Squire, A. 177) These writing and others have contributed so much to the western world, with many homosexuals seeing it as a validation of their sexual orientation, his writings have been used to try and prove that homosexuality is not a seen and therefore one can practice it and still be regarded as a servant of God. Some churches have ordained homosexual priests based on his works. Although this has received some acceptance in the western world it is still a subject clouded in deep controversy because of its implications on morality. Modern Christianity especially Catholicism has consistently denied the practice of homosexuality by its founding fathers even in the face of glaring evidence posed in Aelred’s writing. However, in his writing mirror of charity Aelred seems to reject homosexuality and his subsequent writings encourage virginity.
Contribution to friendship and God
Aelred had a deep appreciation for friendship more than any other saint. He has contributed a lot to the modern church by reaffirming that we move towards God through friendship. This can be seen in a passage he writes about his friendship with Simon “ It is no little relief in this living to be with somebody you can be within a close fondness, one who can reassure you and comfort your soul, Someone with whom you can exchange love. A person who can share in your sorrows and shade tears for you.Somebody who will be there for you as you care for him, someone you can rely upon for all life satisfaction. (Squire, A)
Conclusion
Saint Aelred has his place in the history of the Saints as being one of the most controversial. His contributions to the western world cannot be overlooked; he did a lot of work on history most of which were about the royal household of England. Through his deeds as a monk, he emphasized the value of diligence and friendship and he is remembered for his association between friendship and God. However, his sexual orientation which has been thought to have been homosexual has drawn so much controversy in the church and worse still has been used by Homosexual organizations to reconcile the practice with Christian beliefs and Godliness. Given the above account of Saint Aelred, it can be said that he has had a tremendous influence on the church practice, history, and perception of homosexual orientation, and therefore the western world.
Reference
Dutton, Marsha L. “A Historian’s Historian: The Place of Bede in Aelred’s Contributions To the New History of his Age“, in: Marsha L. Dutton, Daniel M. La Corte, and Paul Lockey (ed.), Truth as Gift: Studies in Cistercian History in Honor of John R. Sommerfeldt (Cistercian Studies Series 204). Kalamazoo: Cistercian, 2004, Print
Squire, A. “Aelred of Rievaulx: A Study” in: Cistercian Studies series 50. Kalamazoo Cistercian Publications, 1981, Print
Sommerfeldt, John R., Aelred of Rievaulx On Love and Order in the World and the Church. Mahwah, NJ: Newman Press, 2006, Print