Final answer:
The Cistercians differed from the Benedictine Cluniacs in their adherence to austerity, preference for isolation from secular affairs, and emphasis on manual labor and self-sufficiency. The Cluniacs became wealthy and influential, whereas Cistercians sought to maintain the simplicity originally intended by the Benedictine Rule.
Step-by-step explanation:
Differences Between the Cistercians and the Benedictine Cluniacs
The Cistercians were a monastic order that branched off from the Benedictines, specifically from a subset known as the Cluniacs. The main differences between the Cistercians and the Cluniacs revolve around their approaches to monastic life, economic activities, and their levels of asceticism.
The Cistercians sought a return to the original ideals of the Benedictine Rule, which was composed by Benedict of Nursia. They emphasized simplicity, austerity, and a closer adherence to these rules in contrast to the Cluniacs, whose monasteries had become wealthier and more involved in secular affairs. The Cluniacs had their origin in the monastery of Cluny, which was known for its opulent churches and significant influence in ecclesiastical and secular politics. Over time, Cluniac monasteries often attracted donations and acquired vast lands, leading to their great prosperity.
By comparison, the Cistercians maintained stricter poverty, and their daily life was more austere. They reduced liturgical ornamentation and chose locations in isolated areas to remain unencumbered by outside influence. The Cistercian abbeys were characterized by an emphasis on manual labor, particularly in agriculture, as a form of spiritual exercise and self-sustainment. They were innovative in water management and became noted for their contributions to the agricultural development of the lands they occupied.
In summary, while both followed the Benedictine Rule, the Cistercians aimed to revive the strict and simple lifestyle it proposed, in contrast to the Cluniacs who had evolved a more opulent and less ascetic mode of living.