The abbeys of Westminster and Syon in pre-Reformation England : an appraisal of monastic ideals, roles and contributions in English religious life and cultural traditions

On the eve of the Reformation, was traditional religion on the decline? During the last four decades before the Dissolution in England, was the monastic institution stagnant, failing, unpopular and irrelevant? This thesis examines the English abbeys of Westminster and Syon and presents facts and arguments to show evidence of vigour and vitality of the English monastic institution on the eve of its dissolution. During the late Middle Ages, especially the period 1500-1540, both abbeys passed numerous criteria of vitality: successful recruitment, enormous wealth, popularity and high patronage. Spiritually, both abbeys successfully adhered to the traditional monastic ideals of contemplative life coupled with the outward-looking duty of lay pastoralship in the form of evangelisation and social services. Culturally, both abbeys showed cultivation of literary and musical culture and patronage of contemporary intellectual, artistic and technological development. - Contrary to the popular belief that monastic life was in decline during the late medieval period, both the Westminster and Syon monastic communities demonstrated spiritual vitality, played proactive roles in the community and contributed immensely in the religious, cultural and socio-economic life of the English nation up until their dissolutions.