recognize in yourself (recognosco in temetipso) any share in the
happiness of the bride?’^69 Here too, an effective transformation is at
stake, not merely remembering.
While both of these quotes seem to entail a stronger notion of
recognition than can be found in Augustine, the termrecognoscodoes
not achieve any conceptual stability in Bernard. Given the legal and
social context of the passages analysed above, some new aspects of the
term can be detected, bringing it closer toagnosco. It is nevertheless
significant that Bernard employs the language of commendations and
phrases like‘recognizing a benefit’and‘recognizing a lord’. While
these phrases are not found as such in legal sources,^70 Bernard’s
overall terminology resembles that of feudal law.
The obvious term delineating a subjective attachment to know-
ledge for Bernard isagnosco. Bernard speaks, for instance, of the‘kiss
of participation’which enables one to know (agnosco) and to love
God. As noted above, a kiss is thefinal part of the feudal commen-
dation ceremony. He adds that God can only be fully known (plene
cognoscitur) when he is loved perfectly.^71 Here Bernard thinks, in
keeping with Augustine, thatagnoscois the subjective loving know-
ledge of imperfect people. Like Augustine, he can also useagnosco
andcognoscosynonymously.
InSermons on the Song of Songs, Bernard quotes the phrase of the
Pastoral Epistles‘knowledge of the truth’three times.^72 In all three
instances, he is interested in the universality of salvation expressed in
1 Tim. 2:4. Bernard often connectsagnoscowith ownership:‘When
I come to acknowledge (agnosco) that he [Christ] is truly mine.’^73 He
can proclaim:‘Acknowledge (agnosce), O ox, your owner!’^74 In
another context, he says:‘A spiritual house is what each one should
acknowledge (agnoscat) himself to be, provided he walks in the Spirit
and not in theflesh.’^75 Here, too, thefinal ownership belongs to God.
Given Bernard’s leanings towards feudal terminology, these expres-
sions of allegiance may be even more important for him than for
Augustine. At the same time, he continues the Augustinian tradition
(^69) Sermones46, 5.
(^70) For this information, I am indebted to Heikki Pihlajamäki and Dirk Heirbaut.
(^71) Sermones8, 8–9. Ganshof 1979, 78–9.
(^72) Sermones19, 6; 55, 1; 64, 8. (^73) Sermones2, 6.
(^74) Sermones35, 5. (^75) Sermones46, 8.
66 Recognition and Religion