A full and comprehensive survey of the development of the Cistercian Order which emerged from the tumultuous intellectual and religious fervour of the eleventh and twelfth centuries.

Introduction: Reform and renewal
The 'desert-place called Cîteaux'
'In mountain valleys and plains': the spread of the Cistercian Order
'Lonely wooded places': the Cistercians, their sites and their buildings
Unity and concord: the administration of the Order
Ora et labora: daily life in the cloister
'Angels of God': Cistercian spirituality
Conversi, granges and the Cistercian economy
'Lanterns shining in a dark place': the Cistercians and the world
Bibliography

Janet Burton is Professor of Medieval History at University of Wales Trinity Saint David, Lampeter and the author of many books and articles on monastic history.