Editing Cadfael (section)

==Faith==
Formal religion necessarily forms a central part of Cadfael's life as a Benedictine monk, and religion provides the basis for his character as well as for the atmosphere and action of the stories.<ref name="Vickers">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fm1EIpl0U70C&q=brother+cadfael |last=Vickers |first=Anita M. |contribution=The Role of Religion in the Cadfael Series |title=Cordially Yours, Brother Cadfael |editor-first=Anne K. |editor-last=Kaler |year=1998 |publisher=Bowling Green State University Popular Press |page=14 |isbn=0-87972-773-X |access-date=17 February 2013}}</ref> The [[Rule of St Benedict]] is the framework of Cadfael's home monastery of St. Peter and St. Paul, just across the river [[Severn]] from [[Shrewsbury]]. It is noted that in the year 1141, under Abbot Radulfus, 53 brothers, seven novices and six school boys live at the Abbey, not including lay stewards and servants.<ref>{{cite book |last=Peters |first=Ellis |year=1994 |title=The Pilgrim of Hate |publisher=Warner Futura |page=27 |isbn= 0-7515-1110-2}}</ref> Their days are structured by the selection of [[Liturgy of the Hours#Canonical hours|offices]] they follow; the gathering for prayer at [[Matins]] (at midnight) and the following service of [[Lauds]], [[Prime (liturgy)|Prime]] at 6 am, [[Vespers]] at 6 pm and [[Compline]] at 8 or 9 pm (depending on the season). The Benedictine order was originally created by [[Benedict of Nursia|Saint Benedict]] to combine monastic fellowship with physical exertion, mental stimulation and spiritual duties, holding that exercise and physical work would help lead to a healthy soul. It marked a radical departure from earlier orders, establishing a [[cenobitic]] community life that was not idealised as austere or penitential. The looser structure, run at the discretion of the abbot, would suit well a man like Cadfael who was in the secular world for forty years before entering the order.<ref name="Kaler 1998 page=11"/> It is natural enough that Cadfael, as a world-weary soldier, should seek out that flexibility of this particular order as a ''[[Oblate#Origins and history|conversus]]''.<ref>{{harvnb|Kaler|1998|page=4}}</ref>

As the monastery's highly literate herbalist/gardener, holding a rare skill set in demand in both town and abbey, Cadfael is the equivalent of the medieval physician, possessing an independent authority that sets him aside from his fellows.<ref>{{harvnb|Kaler|1998|page=12}}</ref> This enables him to travel, building secular relationships and at times challenging powers within the strong [[feudal]] hierarchy. It is the "corporeal works of mercy" that engage Cadfael's Christianity, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, and healing the sick, rather than preaching.<ref>{{harvnb|Kaler|1998|page=7}}</ref> He favours a simple, tolerant and forgiving understanding of Christianity, his practice tending to be based on experience of human frailty rather than contemplation of religious texts.<ref name = "Wiggins">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fm1EIpl0U70C&q=brother+cadfael |last=Wiggins |first=Kayla McKinney |contribution=Soldier, Sailor, Cleric, Celt: The Philosophy of Brother Cadfael |title=Cordially Yours, Brother Cadfael |editor-first=Anne K. |editor-last=Kaler |publisher=Bowling Green State University Popular Press |year=1998 |isbn= 0-87972-773-X |access-date=17 February 2013}}</ref> When Shrewsbury is visited by an [[Inquisition]]-style orthodoxy (''The Heretic’s Apprentice'') or a harshly punitive version of Christianity (''The Raven in the Foregate''), the stories end with a reaffirmation of the positive, tolerant faith espoused by Cadfael. In a sense he "creates his own theology" to suit the situation; Pargeter herself agreed that Cadfael is a [[Situational ethics|situational ethicist]], basing his actions in any given situation on "the right thing to do" rather than on a strict moral code.<ref name = "Wiggins" />

The two abbots that rule during Cadfael's time at the Abbey of St Peter and St Paul, Abbot Heribert (Herbert) (1128–1138) and Abbot Radulfus (Ranulph I or Ralph) (1138–1148), are both real historical figures. The supercilious "abbot in waiting", Prior Robert Pennant (1148–1167)<ref name=Kaler1998p30>{{harvnb|Kaler|1998|page=30}}</ref> succeeded Radulfus some time after the end of the Cadfael Chronicles. The "anxious sweetness" of the fictional Abbot Heribert is set against the proud and ambitious Prior Robert, who Kollman argues "almost becomes the true villain of the series".<ref name=Kaler1998p30 /> Both superiors serve to highlight Abbot Radulfus as the median, the ideal abbot, with whom Cadfael has a deep empathy and understanding. Both Robert and Heribert also serve to show the cloistered and worldly perils, respectively, that Cadfael balances through his "constant war of conscience".<ref>{{harvnb|Kaler|1998|page=22}}</ref> Peters shows Cadfael at the heart of healthy, fulfilling monastic life, which may be flawed by its humanity but is well-intentioned.<ref Name=Kaler1998p37>{{harvnb|Kaler|1998|page=37}}</ref> It is Cadfael, the fulcrum, who helps to maintain the health and perspective that overcomes crises of justice that arise from within and without the community. It may be argued that Peters creates him as a version of St Benedict's vision of holy fellowship and service.<ref Name=Kaler1998p37 />