General Concepts: the New Religious Orders
This week we examine the new religious orders that grew up in the new urban world of the late 12th and early 13th centuries.  These new orders generally originated as the followings of charismatic spiritual leaders (St Francis, St Dominic, Waldes, etc.), which often came to be standardized after the death of their founder (hence they became religious ‘orders').  Although each group had distinctive features, they did share many concerns - among those poverty and preaching.  Very generally we can call the successful groups ‘mendicants' or ‘friars'.  Keep in mind, therefore, that they are not monks.  See if you can gauge how and why the mendicants differed from the traditional monastic religious orders.

A. The Rule of Saint Francis of Assisi
1. Remind yourself of what a ‘rule' is. What sort of document is it? What are the goals of producing it?
2. How do the general goals of the Franciscan Order (as expressed in chapter 1) differ from benedictine monasticism? How are they similar? (Think back to the Benedictine Rule).
3. Why was it important that Francis and the Franciscans reported directly to the pope?
4. What does the Rule say about money, possessions and poverty? How does this differ from monasticism?
5. What was a Franciscan supposed to do once he had joined the order? [hint: look at chapter 6]
6. How was the Franciscan Order supposed to be organized? Who was to lead it? What structure did it possess?
7. Who could become a Franciscan? What did he have to do to join the order?
8. Is there a connection between the ideals of the Franciscans and the urban world from which they emerged? Explain.

B. the Testament of Clare of Assisi
St Clare of Assisi was the first of Francis' female followers.  She became the leader of those women who were moved by Francis' message. Due to medieval religious ideas about the mixing of the sexes, Clare and the other women were gradually encouraged to form a separate, if affiliated branch of the Franciscan Order (the women were known as the "Second Order Franciscans" or as "Poor Clares"). Ultimately Francis wrote a separate rule for Clare and her women. Clare's "Testament" is a sort of "last words" that she dictated at the end of her life. [Incidentally, there was also a "Third Order" of Franciscans (also called "Tertiaries"); these were pious laymen and laywomen who did not become full Franciscans, but supported the other two orders].
1. What is the most important component of the Poor Clares' life, according to Clare?
2. What was the relationship between Clare (and her ‘sisters') and Francis?
3. Chapter 8 shows one of the paradoxes of the treatment of medieval women - did medieval society think that women could follow the life set forth by Francis? Why or why not?
4. Beginning in chapter 10, Clare begins to get down to specifics - what ought the Poor Clares believe or practice?
5. What does Clare have to say about poverty?
6. Why did medieval society require Clare and her friends to settle down (where Francis wandered)?
7. How were the Poor Clares to be organized?
8. Are there differences in content and/or style between Francis' Rule and Clare's Testament?

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