Letter 8, Abelard to Heloise Summary and Analysis

Abelard's second letter aims to answer the question of a Rule for the lives of the nuns of Paraclete. He relies on the practices and testimony of Scriptures along with reason to put together a Rule for them. The Rule is divided into three parts, the life of continence, the life of poverty, and the life of silence. Continence is practicing chastity. Poverty means giving up possessions of the earth to focus on divine possessions. We focus on submitting ourselves to God. Only in voluntary poverty does life became a common store as it was by the Apostles, where things are distributed in accord with need.

Idle and superfluous words are similar things. Talking too much leads to sin and holding the tongue is wise. Practicing silence also involves intensely concentrating the mind, not just...