Isaac of Stella
Isaac de Stella
Biography
Born in England around 1100, Isaac spent much of his youth in France (late 1120 - 1130?) to study extensively, probably in Paris and perhaps in Chartres, as well as in Poitiers. In 1147, he became Abbot of Notre-Dame de l’Étoile in Poitou, formerly a monastery of reformist “black monks” and incorporated into the Order of Cîteaux since 1145. At some point during the 1150s, he spent a relatively short time on the island of Ré to participate in the founding of the monastery of Notre-Dame des Châteliers . He was a friend of Thomas Becket and met Bernard de Clairvaux. It is also known that he played the role of an arbiter in patrimonial affairs in his region.
His teaching, especially in his sermons, testifies to the exceptional synthesis he manages to create between his great philosophical, theological and literary culture and the seriousness of his monastic life. He also left us two treatises/letters, one on the soul and the other on the Canon of the Mass.
He died probably in 1169.
Biblical data was used for the following study: Laurence Mellerin, « Isaac of Stella’s Use of the Bible », Cistercian Studies Quarterly 58.1, 2023, p. 47-74. Underlying dataset: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8113661
Works
Quotations
- [Vg] Ge 1:1
- [Vg] Ge 1:14
- [Vg] Ge 1:16
- [Vg] Ge 1:17
- [Vg] Ge 1:2
| Birth date | ? |
|---|---|
| Death date | ? |
| Activity | Poitou, Abbaye de l'Etoile, Île de Ré |
| Group of authors | Western Middle Ages (11th-14th century) |