What did Bernard of Clairvaux teach about prayer and contemplation?

St. Bernard of Clairvaux taught that prayer and contemplation are the essential paths to achieving a higher, intuitive knowledge of the divine, which he viewed as the fruition of faith.1

For Bernard, the pursuit of God was not a matter of rationalistic disputation or "scandalous curiosity," but rather a journey rooted in a "school of charity". He famously argued that one discovers God with greater facility through prayer than through intellectual argument. His approach to spirituality emphasized:2

• The Primacy of Love: Bernard held that the possession of love is the fundamental condition for knowing God. He taught that the Father cannot be fully known unless He is loved perfectly, defining the measure of this love as "to love without measure".21
• Contemplation and Imitation: He advocated for the contemplation and imitation of Christ as the foundation of the spiritual life.1
• Mystical Intuition: Bernard experienced the divine in a mystical and intuitive manner, often finding that nature—such as trees and stones—could teach spiritual truths that were inaccessible through books alone.1

Ultimately, his teachings sought to balance an active life of service with a deep, inner life of absorption in God.1