Status
Collection
Description
A timeless source of wisdom for people looking to lead a life of simplicity, purpose, and serenity The Rule of St. Benedict has governed monastic communities for centuries, but it is far more than a standard religious text.The Rule is, above all, a handbook for living a deliberate life--no matter your religious background or beliefs. It teaches the importance of contemplation and silence, of solitude, and the power of community and unity. With lessons focusing on the simple acts of everyday life, like eating and daily work, along with wisdom for the deeply personal and internal facets of living, such as cultivating humility and practicing forgiveness,The Rule of St. Benedict is a profound guide to living a good and meaningful life. An award-winning translator, Philip Freeman's version ofThe Rule is beautifully accessible in its language. With a simple and direct style, the book lays out a way of living that is transformative in its simplicity and striking in its power.… (more)
Publication
Similar in this library
Other editions
User reviews
Doyle’s 1948 translation of the Rule of St. Benedict is my favorite because of its beauty and grace. His translation can be found in several book forms. This is a beautiful hardcover
This book was “published in conjunction with the seventy-fifth anniversary of the founding of The Liturgical Press.” This beautiful book is printed in two colors on a “70 pound Cougar Opaque natural vellum finish sheet, with an 80 pound Cougar natural text end-sheet. It is casebound in a Cialux cover with leaf foil stamps.”
That aside, this was a worthwhile read. To understand how the Benedictine monks lived, and to perhaps find wisdom for living ones own life. One doesn't need to be a monk to require advice on how to deal with other humans in a manner pleasing to God. This book offers excellent assistance in that area: worth reading and worth buying.
The introductory materials and translation with notes are strong. The translator does well to welcome the reader into the world of sixth century Italy, the life of Benedict, and what precipitated the establishment of his Rule.
The substance of the Rule has become the basis of the Benedictine family of monasteries and part of the basis of all other monastic orders of the West. Benedict focused highly on a lot of the practical details about life in a monastic setting: everything from the purpose of being a monk to details about how meals ought to be governed and when various psalms should be read.
This is a helpful edition of the Rule for a modern audience. There are many principles which all can benefit from in terms of discipline and spirituality in the faith. On the whole, however, one can see the challenges that arise from such a hierarchical understanding of all relationships, and where danger might arise in considering the abbot as Jesus Himself. We can understand the impulse to withdraw into the contemplative life, and certainly can appreciate the need for seasons of contemplation and periods of contemplation - but Jesus lived in and among the people, and His people should be as well.
**--galley received as part of book review program