The Rule of the Templars: The French Text of the Rule of the Order of the Knights Templar: v. 4 (Studies in the History of Medieval Religion) - Hardcover

Upton-Ward, J.M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0851153151 ISBN 13: 9780851153155

Publisher: The Boydell Press, 1992

Synopsis

This translation of Henri de Curzon's 1886 edition of the French Rule is derived from the three extant medieval manuscripts. Both monastic rule and military manual, the Ruleis a unique document and an important historical source. It comprises the Primitive Rule, Hierarchical Statutes, Penances, Conventual Life, the Holding of Ordinary Chapters, Further Details on Penances, and Reception into the Order. There are details of clothing, armour and equipment; instructions on conduct while on campaign; information on the daily life of members of the order and on the discipline which made it a formidable fighting force. The Ruleevolved over almost 150 years of the Order's history, and is thus a dynamic piece of work, showing how the Templars adapted to political change and formulated their disciplinary code. An introduction gives the historical background to the Rule and summarises the varioussections. An appendix by MATTHEW BENNETT discusses the military implications. J.M. UPTON-WARD gained her M.Phil. at the University of Reading.

About this title

Review

Will receive a warm welcome... The ordinary reader, whether concerned with military history, or with the religious orders, can now be made free of the strange world of one of the two most significant military orders of the middle ages. READING MEDIEVAL STUDIES [Christopher Holdsworth] Reveal[s] a religious order self-consciously attempting to shape itself for the greatest possible service to God and neighbour... a daring experiment that took the ideal of Christian action in the world to a logical extreme. THEOLOGICAL STUDIES

Synopsis

This book presents for the first time an English translation of Henri de Curzon's 1886 edition of the French "Rule" derived from the three extant medieval manuscripts; both monastic rule and military manual, the "Rule" is a unique document and an important historical source. The "Rule" is divided into seven main sections: the Primitive Rule, Hierarchical Statutes, Penances, Conventual Life, the Holding of Ordinary Chapters, Further Details on Penances, and Reception into the Order. There are details of the clothing, armour and equipment to which each brother was entitled; instructions to the brothers as to their conduct while on campaign; and information on the daily life of the members of this most influential military order, and on the monastic discipline which made it a formidable fighting force. The "Rule" evolved over almost 150 years of the Order's history, and thus shows how the Templars adapted to political change and formulated their disciplinary code. An Introduction gives the historical background to the "Rule" and summarizes the various sections.

Finally, an appendix by Matthew Bennett discusses the military the military implications of the "Rule", with particular regard to strategy.

Edition details

• Publisher: The Boydell Press
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0851153151
• ISBN 13: 9780851153155
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208