Dr Clare Stancliffe, Department of History, Durham University

Columbanus's monasticism

Columbanus is a crucial figure both because of his impact, and because his monasticism is considerably better documented than that of any other Irish religious of the formative period. Yet questions abound: how does his practice relate to continental tradition, including the Rule of St Benedict? or to Irish tradition? or is it idiosyncratic? This paper will probe the sources and seek to carry our understanding further.