Why did St. Bernard of Clairvaux criticize Peter Abelard’s logical approach to theology?

St. Bernard of Clairvaux criticized Peter Abelard’s logical approach to theology because he believed it relied on "scandalous curiosity" rather than the spiritual humility required to understand divine mysteries.1

As a proponent of monastic spirituality, Bernard argued that dialectical Scholasticism was inherently degrading to the mysteries of God. He maintained that faith should be pursued through a "school of charity" and prayer, asserting that one discovers truth with greater facility through prayer than through disputation. Bernard viewed Abelard’s excessive indulgence in dialectic—specifically his method of using logic to reconcile apparent contradictions in theological authorities—as an attempt to exalt human reason above the established limits of faith. Ultimately, Bernard believed that the possession of love was the essential condition for knowing God, a stark contrast to Abelard’s rationalistic and analytical framework.123