Call for articles: In memoriam David N. Bell

Call for Articles: Cîteaux: Commentarii cistercienses Special Issue in Memory of David N. Bell (1943–2025)

David N. Bell in Pontigny

The editorial board of Cîteaux: Commentarii cistercienses invites submissions for a special memorial issue dedicated to the life, scholarship, and legacy of Professor David N. Bell, who long served as Professor of Religion and Culture at the Memorial University of Newfoundland..

Born in a medieval house in the shadow of Durham cathedral on 2 June 1943, David graduated from Leeds University in 1964 and received his D.Phil. in the study of religions from Oxford in 1971. Offered a teaching position in 1970 when the Memorial University of Newfoundland was expanding, he accepted a two-year contract but fell in love with The Rock, never left it in spirit and always thought of it as home. David’s body of scholarship reflects his sustained interest in the intellectual, spiritual, and material lives of monastic communities, which he explored through books such as What Nuns Read (1995) and Handmaid of the Lord: Mary, the Cistercians, and Armand-Jean de Rancé (2021), as well as hundreds of articles on topics ranging from Cistercian books and libraries, to space and privacy in monastic life, to monastic spirituality and mysticism, to the Platonic tradition among the Cistercians.

We welcome original research articles that build upon, engage with, or are inspired by David’s scholarship. For a partial list of his publications relevant to the history of the Middle Ages, please see RI OPAC [link here].

Suggested Themes and Topics:

Given the remarkable breadth of David’s research, we invite contributions on a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

  • Cistercian Theology and Spirituality: (Re)considerations of what we mean by “Cistercian spirituality,” studies on mysticism or Marian devotion among the Cistercians, or articles centered on the works of particular figures such as Aelred of Rievaulx, William of Saint-Thierry, Baldwin of Forde, Guerric of Igny, or Isaac of Stella.
  • Monastic Libraries and Book Culture: Investigations into medieval library catalogs, book ownership, manuscript transmission, and monastic literacy, as well as studies specifically centered on the reading and book culture of Cistercian nuns.
  • The Transmission of Ancient and Patristic Thought: Research into how Greek and Latin writers of antiquity (e.g., Plato, Augustine, Origen, Pseudo-Dionysius) influenced medieval monastic authors.
  • Monastic Archaeology and Material Culture: Architectural, archaeological, or economic studies of Cistercian abbeys, as well as research into the development of physical monastic spaces and notions of privacy.
  • The Continuity of Monastic Tradition: Articles exploring the survival, adaptation, or dissolution of monastic communities in the late medieval and early modern periods.
  • Medieval Monasticism East and West: Comparative studies exploring the ties between western and eastern Christian monastic communities, examining, for instance, ascetic practices, textual transmission, or liturgy.

Timeline:

15 December 2026: Deadline for the submission of full articles.

Spring/Summer 2027: Each manuscript is read and discussed by the editorial board, which may in addition engage outside readers.

Submission Guidelines

  • Submission: Articles should be sent as a Word document or PDF attachment to kinder@citeaux.org by 15 December 2026.
    • Manuscripts submitted must not have appeared elsewhere in any language, nor be committed to future publication, nor have been sent to another journal while under consideration by the editorial board of Cîteaux – Commentarii cistercienses.
  • Language: Submissions are welcome in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, or Spanish
  • Length and References: There is no fixed limit to the length of a manuscript; the announced subject should be treated fully with appropriate references. All references must be verified by the author before the manuscript is submitted.
  • Style: Final articles must adhere to the Cîteaux style sheet regarding formatting, abbreviations, and citation conventions. Please see the style sheet linked here for further details.