The Steps of Humility and Pride

by Bernard of Clairvaux

The son of burgundian nobility, Bernard admitted after years of struggle that humility remained for him the most elusive of the virtues. Yet the uncompromising vehemence of his love for God made him strive for what monastic tradition taught is indispensable to anyone hoping to share God's perfect love.

Genres: Theology, Catholic, Religion, Classics, Spirituality, Philosophy, Medieval

104 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1120

About the author

born 1090

Piety and mysticism of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux as widely known instrumental French monastic reformer and political figure condemned Peter Abélard and rallied support for the second Crusade.

This doctor of the Church, an abbot, primarily built the Cistercian order. After the death of mother, Bernard sought admission into the Cistercian order in 1112. Three years later, people sent Bernard found a new house, named Claire Vallée, "of Clairvaux," on 25 June 1115. Bernard preached that the Virgin Mary interceded in an immediate faith.

In 1128, Bernard assisted at the council of Troyes and traced the outlines of the rule of the Knights Templar, who quickly the ideal of Christian nobility.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard...

Reviews

[Wilson Porte Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente conjunto de duas pequenas obras de Bernardo. Que livro!

[Cris · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.S. Lewis aptly remarked that the medieval mind passed more easily back and forth between spiritual and worldly ideas. He intimated that this inability to hold an idea long in the mind is part of what makes moderns more superficial. This was infinitely clear to me when I found myself bored and annoyed by the extended allegory of the feast in the first half of St. Bernard's treatise which was meant, I think to bring emotional preparation for the Steps. Once I got to the second half of the work though, I had to read sentence by sentence for fear of missing anything because he was going so quickly. St. Bernard first takes apart the Beatitudes, (so called the Bill of Rights of christians) dissecting their order and meaning to bring out of it a negative and positive scale of pride and humility. The 12 steps begin their descent in curiosity(as opposed to studiosity), runs down through increasing signs of pride such as: audaciousness, (Jane Austin's novels?) conceit, eccentricity, and onwards to rebellion finally to habitual sin. (Eccentricity was fascinating.) Coming back down the Steps on the positive side, Bernard takes the example of the simple words of the Theotokos at the summit, as the model of modest confidence. He follows this up with the forbearance to press personal preference, down through retiscence and on to the beginnings of self-awareness. It was impressive how deeply St. Bernard looked into human self-idolatry, like a scientist peeling layers back. Having had my spiritual can kicked, I was left pondering the great grace necessary for community life in the age of self-esteem.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I obviously disagree with the monastic context in which Bernard was writing, there is always so much good material in his writings that you can easily see why he was a favourite of the Reformers and Puritans.

[HardWorkofSanctification · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a ladder that leads to pride and ladder that leads to humility, it is the same ladder but depending on whether you go up or down, you become more prideful or more humble. The way towards humility is paved by virtue and way towards pride by vice. The twelve steps, where first for pride is last for humility are following:
α Inquisitiveness i.e. being curious with eyes VS Modesty (constant state of humility in body and spirit)
β Levity of mind VS Words being sensible and quiet in tone
γ Light hearted gaiety at wrong time VS Not indulging in frequent light hearted laughter
δ Boasting VS Silence until one's opinion is sought
ε Individuality (making your own rules in a community) VS Observing the general rules
ζ Conceit VS Admission of one's inferiority to others
η Audacity VS Acknowledgement of one's unworthiness
θ Self-justification VS Confession of sin
κ Dishonest confession VS Patient endurance of hardship and trouble, in the spirit of obedience
λ Rebellion VS Obedience and submission to one's superior
μ Freedom to sin VS Not to seek one's own will
ν Habit of sin VS Not sinning in reverence to God (at all)

[Tim Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great little book from someone who obviously knew people well. Bernard's insight into the human proclivity to pride and aversion to humility is timeless. Don't be surprised if some of the lines you read make you feel that this monk from the 12th century knows as much about our motives as Facebook and Google do.

"If love can make you blind or too lenient in regard to the faults of a friend, what will your self-love do when you consider your own faults?"

Bernard saw in monks heading the wrong direction, "These symptoms show his soul has caught some disease. He used to watch over his own conduct; now all his watchfulness is for others."

This was convicting to me, "He is not shy about producing his opinions; words are bubbling over. He does not wait to be asked. His information comes before any question. He asks the questions; gives the answers; cuts off anyone who tries to speak. When the bell rings and it is necessary to interrupt the conversation, hour-long though it be, he seeks a minute more...not to edify the listeners, but to show off his learning. He may have the capacity to help others but that is the least of his concerns."

[Jason Harris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I feel that most of my review for another Bernard of Clairvaux book (here) apply fairly well to this book.

Basically, a very thought provoking and fascinating read. But demonstrates the terrible state of the Roman Church soon after the turn of the second millennium. Here the asceticism comes through very strong as well as a works righteousness paradigm. The twelve steps are just silly... all surface stuff mired in the man-made rules of monastic culture. And of course the definition of humility is badly skewed by these theological issues.

In short, the book is a valuable insight into the state of the church at this time in history and the desperate need of the Reformation which was only a few centuries away by this point.

[Charlene Hios · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love reading a book that speaks to me. The ink in this one did just that, spoke to me. My favorite part is the ending in which he writes, and I paraphrase, dear brother godrey, i realize i wrote more about the steps of pride than the steps of humility. I can only write what I know . . .

I definitely need to read this a few more times. Hope you will take a peek and see if it speaks to you too. <><

[John Rakshith Prabhakar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy read. Penetrating reflections on the self gained through rigorous introspection. It lacks in experiential piety arising from union with Christ

[Isabel Pliszka · Rating 3 out of 5]

St. Bernard I need a draw my life esque explanation of the steps I have enough humility to know when I need a visualization

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely old smelly book I bought from a bookstore in Eugene, Or. that specializes in all sorts of old lovely, smelly religious books of all Christian persuasions. Window's Booksellers is in the basement of Cosmic Pizza, 199 W. 8th Ave. Stop by if you're in town and bury yourself. You'll leave happy, heavy with books, and broke.

I will tell you, the introduction is as long as the actual book by St. Bernard. The writer saw fit to give a great overview of St. Bernard's way of thinking, his logic. It was a bit of a slog, but also full of gems I would not ever have read otherwise, as it's really a pasting together of paragraphs of Bernard's writings from other books or letters.

The other reason this book is nearly three hundred pages is that the book itself--Steps of Humility--is printed with the latin text on the left pages and english translation on the right. There are also plenty of footnotes, indexes, etc.. It is quite the scholarly book.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, to be a monk in the twelfth century...I guess we are all on a path. These steps are actually not bad for anyone to pick up; grab a cup of something hot, and just read them through some rainy afternoon. Maybe there is something here that could even be somewhat appropriated for us non-monks in the 21st century.