William of St-Thierry

William of Saint-Thierry, born between 1075 and 1085 in Liège, was a prominent twelfth-century Benedictine and Cistercian theologian and mystic. He became abbot of Saint-Thierry Abbey near Reims in 1119 and formed a close friendship with Bernard of Clairvaux. After serving as abbot, he resigned in 1135 to join the Cistercian Order at Signy Abbey, where he died in 1148. William's writings focused on spiritual life, contemplation, and the nature of love. He also engaged in theological controversies, notably writing against Peter Abelard and William of Conches. His works, written in Latin, include *De natura et dignitate amoris*, *Meditativae orationes*, *Expositio super Epistolam ad Romanos*, and *Epistola ad fratres de Monte-Dei* (The Golden Epistle). Three of his works were widely read in the Middle Ages, sometimes mistakenly attributed to Bernard of Clairvaux.