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The theme of ‘origins’ is vital for an understanding of the roots of the Orders of Cistercians and Regular Canons, exemplified here as Premonstratensians. Bernard of Clairvaux and Norbert of Xanten conceived of Reform as a return to the origins of Christianity, not as a change. The common yearnings of the two Orders for purity is stressed while their contrasting approaches are illustrated by the metaphor of Jerusalem. For the monks of Cîteaux who focused mainly on spiritual matters - without completely excluding the outside world - it was heavenly while the followers of Norbert aimed to recreate an earthly Jerusalem at Prémontré.
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