A central figure of the Rule of Benedict (RB) is its abbot who is addressed by a title of Christ, abba, pater. The use of this paternal metaphor to describe RB’s superior is the subject of this thesis. Benedict’s reason and purpose in adopting such a metaphor is explored together with its origin in biblical, monastic/ecclesial and cultural traditions. The theological implications of its use are also explored. It is the premise of this thesis that Benedict drew on all three traditions when formulating the “fatherly” role his superior would undertake within his community. This thesis acts as a counter argument to those scholars of the origins of Christian monasticism who see the abbot as in no way modelled on the Roman paterfamilias of Antiquity or sixth century Italy, or see the abbatial office as solely modelled on the kind of fathering found in the Scriptures.
