As hubs of spiritual and scientific activity, monasteries were the information centers of the Middle Ages. This program explores the varying missions—and the often-cloaked thoughts and feelings—of the medieval monk, within the larger context of the era’s highly regulated and intrigue-ridden religious life. With a focus on the interaction of European and Arab cultures, as well as the importance of libraries and pre-Christian texts, the program’s discussions of medicine, mathematics, astronomy, law, and philosophy portray monastic life as full and surprisingly worldly: not only the zenith of introspection, but an arena of passion, exploration, and power struggle. Portions are in other languages with English subtitles. (53 minutes)