David N. Bell is professor emeritus of religious studies at Memorial University (Newfoundland and Labrador) and a fellow of the Royal Society of Canada. His research encompasses Europe, Asia, and Egypt and range in time from the early years of Christianity to the twenty-first century. He has published nearly thirty books and one hundred articles. His main areas of interest are the history of medieval libraries, especially Cistercian libraries, medieval intellectual history, and the life and writings of Armand-Jean de Rancé, abbot of la Trappe.