The Study Of The Monasteries And The Renaissance Of The 12^th Century In England

As an important religious organization,economic entity and education center in medieval England,monastery has received attentions from scholars at home and abroad.Although there are in-depth researches on the religion,economy and education functions of monastery,only a few focuses on the relationship between monastery and the social changes in England.Started with this point,this paper looks into the role of monastery in England Renaissance in the 12^th century.The England Renaissance in the 12^th century is a cultural revolution caused by many factors,but the role of monastery during this period is scarcely studied.In fact,by virtue of its special status in England,monastery is significant to the economic and cultural development.In terms of economy,monastery takes the lead in the pioneering movement and lays a material foundation for the revival.From the cultural perspective,many classic books reserved in monastery libraries and active participation in the translation movement give cultural support for this revolution.During the movement,monks promote the revival to climax by contributing to the scholastic philosophy,university establishment and historiography compilation.Therefore,the emergence and development of England Renaissance are closely linked to monastery.Centered on the role of monastery in England Renaissance in the 12^th century,this paper explores the connection between these two by dividing into five parts.The introduction describes the research status at home and abroad.The foreign studies show a flourishing trend since they discuss the development and function of monastery from multiple angles.However,domestic scholars mostly research from the economy and education perspectives.Specifically,foreign scholars have obtained abundant achievements in the study of monastery in England Renaissance in the 12^th century,such as elaborating on the definition,geographical category and role of monastery.On the other hand,domestic scholars mainly conduct researches on the origin,cultural influence and politics of monastery.By means of sorting out the changes of monastery in England from the late 10 th century to the 13 th century,the first chapter lays a foundation through presenting the process as well as influence of Dunstan revival in the 10 th century,Franklin reform in the 11 th century,introduction of Cistercian in the 12^th century,and rise of Dervish in the 13 th century.The second chapter focuses on the relationship between monastery and the birth of England Renaissance in the 12^th century.From the perspectives of monastery’s performance in the pioneering movement,the development of monastery economy and the rise of city,translation movement,and revival of classical culture,the authordemonstrates the significant influence of monastery on the birth of England Renaissance in the 12^th century.From the aspects of compilation of history,spread of Gothic churches,prosperity of scholastic philosophy and rise of universities,the third chapter explores monks’ activities and concludes that monastery plays vital role in England Renaissance in the12^th century.The conclusion gives a view of the historical position of monastery in England Renaissance in the 12^th century.According to the parallel comparison between monastery and other classes,it is proposed that monastery is an indispensable part of England Renaissance in the 12^th century.