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Document Details : Title: Liefde en stilte Subtitle: Jean-Baptiste Porion en de theologie van de kartuizers Author(s): PEETERS, Tim Journal: Tijdschrift voor Theologie Volume: 57 Issue: 4 Date: 2017 Pages: 361-373 DOI: 10.2143/TVT.57.4.3262789 Abstract : Silence and solitude are the foundations on which the order of the Carthusians has rested for more than nine centuries. As a result, the praise of solitary life has been central to all spiritual and theological texts of the Carthusian tradition. This express focus meant that the order has seen a truly unique historical development, both with regards to its organization and to its spirituality, liturgy and theology. Carthusians spend most of their days in the seclusion of their hermitage. To the monks, this silent and solitary locus thus coincides with their locus theologicus: it is where they pray, study, work, write, philosophize and theologize. Carthusian theology always was and still is primarily developed from the solitude of the cell, which has a decisive effect on the theology and the texts these hermitage dwellers produce. In this respect, early medieval texts set the standard for the literary activities of later centuries. It would therefore be more accurate to speak of a ‘theology concerning Carthusians’ rather than a ‘theology by Carthusians’, or even a typically ‘Carthusian theology’, considering that the praise of solitaire life and the discussion of the various elements of Carthusian life, like lectio divina or ascetism, but also mysticism, are usually the main themes of their literary and theological oeuvre. True to the premises of contemplative life and their charism of withdrawal from the world, Carthusians have never been active as academic theologians or scholars, nor as preachers, spiritual counsellors or parish priests. In that sense, they differ strongly from other monastic institutions such as the Benedictines, the Cistercians and even the Camadolese, who do develop academic, pastoral and missionary activities. There have, however, been a few well-known Carthusian authors: Jean-Baptiste Porion (†1987) is one of these Carthusian authors of our age. This monk from the Swiss monastery of La Valsainte has written no less than five books. From a theological point of view, his Amour et Silence, Écoles de Silence and Trinité et vie surnaturelle are his most interesting works. Entirely in the tradition of the fathers of the order, Porion succeeds in describing the key spiritual and theological elements of Carthusian charism for a wider audience. |
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