The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century

I so appreciate this book. I have worked my way through it each the past four summers. I manage a camp. Every summer I partner with 25-30 others to host kids and introduce them to Jesus Christ. S. Joan's commentary and reflections on the Rule of Benedict speaks of faith, relationship with God, life together, and hospitality. She writes economy and power. Quote after quote could be pulled to make a meme or motivational poster(please don't). She draws on multiple spiritual and philosophical traditions which speaks to God's universal truth. Rooted in scripture, her writing is not peppered with proof-texts of scripture. It is a humble articulation of lessons learned from a life lived with scripture and in Christ. It is a beautiful, accessible presentation of the ethics of the Kingdom of God. Don't rush through it. Revisit it often. Ask God not to leave you unchanged.

This is a very thoughtful and straightforward introduction to Benedictine spirituality, but it's not a book you can just read through in a single sitting. It demands reflection and patience. One of my favorites. It makes an excellent companion to Jamison's "Finding Sanctuary: Monastic Steps for Everyday Life." Both have given me much to think about in terms of the need for personal stillness and building community.

This book speaks so clearly about life lived and the opportunity to live better with others, whether they share hour home, your office, your work, or the road to wherever you ate going.I am a life long practicing Roman Catholic and still this book helped me to learn many new things about the relationship between the different structures of the church.

Wonderful interpretation - in that it is gender neutral, appreciative of Taoist and Jewish awareness of Source while remaining true to the nature, meaning, and purpose of the The Rule of Benedict. Coming from a mystical Christian perspective, these elements ring true and make the text much more in line with my experience of the Divine. Highly recommend!

I love this reading of the Rule of Benedict and how Joan Chittister's wonderful commentary makes it even more relatable to present day. I like that the Rule of Benedict is still there for the daily reading and Sister Joan's commentary follows each reading. I have read a translation that just paraphrased the Rule, but I much prefer this.

This book is a great start to organize your thoughts and a great guideline of St Benedict’s RuleThe monastics know something we mere mortals don’t but many seekThe serenity of contemplative life in full harmony with the earth. Sky. Seasons and acceptance of themselves and others as we all seek GodThis would be a great start toward that organized. Disciplined. Prayerful life of gratitude and humilityI’d suggest a retreat at a monastery as often as you can to see the eyes of the monastics. You’ll see that they have found the secret.

A deep, reflective guide to connecting life and prayer. Chittister brings the ancient into the modern world and helps us see how The Rule can help us to live life fully and well in the here and now. There is great depth here.

I was skeptical about anyone's ability to make the Rule relevant to modern life. Sister Joan does it! Her reflections are so insightful and well written, even a cynical Athiest like me finds myself returning to the book.

This is a great book, because the commentary is easy to understand and encourages me to grow in humility in my daily life.

Writer's thoughts are deep, meaningful and helpful.

interesting

Excellent book that I use daily.

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