

Paperback: 104 pages
Publisher: Liturgical Press (January 1, 2003)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0814628028
ISBN-13: 978-0814628027
Product Dimensions: 5.4 x 0.3 x 8.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #204,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #39 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Worship & Devotion > Monasticism & Asceticism #282 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Biographies > Saints #1857 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Catholicism

Wil Derkse's book on the Rule of Benedict for beginners is a wonderful introduction to this subject. The Rule of St. Benedict itself is a fairly short book, usually printed in fewer than 100 pages, with its 73 chapters of a few paragraphs in length at most. However, often a simple reading of the Rule leaves modern readers dis-satisfied; it is a rule in many ways of and for a different world, just as the biblical texts can be so characterised. However, it is also, like the Bible, a text that speaks to us today, and has application and inspiration for modern followers.Benedict's Rule for life includes worship, work, study, prayer, and relaxation. Benedict's Rule requires community -- even for those who become hermits or solitaries, there is a link to the community through worship and through the Rule. No one is alone. This is an important part of the relationship of God to the world, so it is an integral part of the Rule.Benedict's Rule was set out first in a world that was torn with warfare, economic and political upheaval, and a generally harsh physical environment. This Rule was set out to bring order to a general chaos in which people lived. This is still true today, and men and women all over the world use Benedict's 'little rule for beginners' as a basic structure for their lives.The first word of the rule is Listen. This is perhaps the best advice for anyone looking for any guidance or rule of life. While Benedict's Rule is decidedly Christocentric and hierarchical (though not as hierarchical as much popular ideas about monastic practice would have one think), it nonetheless can give value to any reader who is looking to construct a practice for oneself.Benedict's establishment of a monastery was in fact the establishment of a school for spirituality.
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