Guillaume de Saint-Thierry et le chemin de la formation monastique

This article deals with the idea of formation in the work and thought of William of Saint-Thierry by interpreting it in a broad sense, not as literary education or even as a monastic novitiate, but rather as a quest for spiritual and moral perfection. In William's works, whether explicitly presented as didactic or not, formation appears as a most important theme. It is a never-ending process, not only for novices and the young, but also for experienced monks. The individual is assigned a very active role in this process of continuing formation, where multiple factors and multiple agents play their part. The article takes one example to demonstrate how an understanding of William's thought on the matter of formation can help us interpret his life, and especially his transitus from Saint-Thierry to Signy.