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Product Description:
Composed nearly fifteen hundred years ago by the father of Western monasticism, The Rule of St. Benedict has for centuries been the guide of religious communities. St. Benedict's rules of obedience, humility, and contemplation are not only prerequisites for formal religious societies, they also provide an invaluable model for anyone desiring to live more simply. While they presuppose a certain detachment from the world, they provide guidance and inspiration for anyone seeking peace and fulfillment in their home and work communities. As prepared by the Benedictine monk and priest Timothy Fry, this translation of The Rule of St. Benedict can be a life-transforming book. With a new Preface by Thomas Moore, author of The Care of the Soul.
"God is our home but many of us have strayed from our native land. The venerable authors of these Spiritual Classics are expert guides--may we follow their directions home."
--Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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Amazon.com Review:
Everybody has a rule of life, but it's a rare person who takes the time to spell her ethos out. St. Benedict's Rule, formulated in the sixth century, is among the most comprehensive and vital rules of life in the history of monasticism. Benedict was a tough guy--his standards of obedience, humility, and contemplation can sound awfully rigid to contemporary ears. But his rule has nurtured millions of lives not only in the cloisters, but in every city, suburb, and countryside where people strive to lead simpler lives. --Michael Joseph Gross
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Rating :  - Benedict's Rule: Food for Reflection
St. Benedict (480-546) stands out as a key figure in the history of Western monasticism. His Rule is the guiding document for the greater part of Catholic monastic life, serving as the foundation for the Benedictines, the Cistercians, and the Cistercians of the Strict Order (the Trappists).
THE RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT attempts to recapture the spirit of community evidenced in The Acts of the Apostles, that is to say, a common life in faith, in worship, in simplicity, and in which possessions are shared. This restoration of early Christian life Benedict developed for cenobitic (versus eremitic, i.e., communal versus hermit) monks. The Rule for this life is centered on prayer, and in particular, the "work of God"--opus Dei: the Eucharist and the chanting of the Divine Office. The Divine Office, in turn, revolves around the chanting of the Psalms.
Although a guide for monasticism and an interesting historical document to boot, THE RULE OF SAINT BENEDICT is also excellent spiritual reading for any person of faith. The Rule, and the spirit of monasticism which suffuses it, reminds us to be attentive in prayer, to observe silence and simplicity in our daily lives; to be "countercultural," if you will, in the sense of resisting the world's materialism, individualism, and egotism. The Rule challenges us to be centered in Christ (and so, other-centered), to be open to the wisdom and guidance of others, to exhibit humility, reverence and restraint in speech. It should not be read by the lay reader as a literal rule for living a Christian life; rather, the lay reader should try to absorb the spirit of Benedict's words and live the essence of the Rule. In this way, too, Benedict's Rule might have appeal to non-Christian faiths.
The introductory material by Thomas Moore, a former monk and current author, and Thomas Fry, O.S.B., a Benedictine monk and former editor of the AMERICAN BENEDICTINE REVIEW, are succinct and useful. There is also a helpful Chronology of Christian Monasticism. This edition is a light and portable paperback, making it ideal for tucking away in a bag for spiritual reading while on public transit, or while traveling.
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