Monastic Uses of Illuminated Manuscripts

Stefan Aleksic

04/10/2018

Monastic Meddling

When thinking about monastic orders, one usually thinks of robed men living in seclusion, devoting their lives to God. However, when one starts researching these groups, more interesting tales emerge. A tale of ideology — monastic orders wrote illuminated manuscripts to spread their ideologies and to preserve them for future generations. A missionary tale — orders used manuscripts to spread the message of the gospel to non-believers. A tale of ritual — orders wrote manuscripts to preserve their core principles and tenants. A tale of scholasticism — orders wrote manuscripts to defend their way of life and beliefs. Monastic orders utilized manuscripts in each of these ways to further their own agendas, and exert their influence.

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