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The Rule of Saint Benedict |  | Author: St. Benedict
Creators: Timothy Frye, Thomas Moore
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $12.95
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Seller: Hangtown Books
Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 22113
Media: Paperback
Pages: 112
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.9 x 5.1 x 0.3
ISBN: 037570017X
Dewey Decimal Number: 255.106
EAN: 9780375700170
ASIN: 037570017X
Publication Date: March 24, 1998
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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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
Product Description
Composed nearly fifteen 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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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 14
 Excellent December 9, 2009
Danny
It is a very simple edition of The Rule of Saint Benedict, the way it ought to be. The Preface and Introduction are nice, brief additions to the reading experience. Highly recommended.
 Fine Historical Source.Inspiration but impractical for today. November 9, 2009
B. Marold (Bethlehem, PA United States)
St. Benedict, The Rule of St. Benedict, Thomas Moore (preface), edited by Timothy Fry (New York, Vintage Spiritual Classics, a Division of Random House, 1981)
I'm exploring Christian works on communal living for three main reasons.
First, I feel the Protestant traditions have lost something which Jewish, Catholic, and Islamic traditions still have, to their advantage. This is a discipline of daily rituals which permeate their life from rising in the morning to retiring at night. Why, for example, do Catholics hold daily services while our Protestant churches are locked on weekdays? If you are not a student in a church-run school or a teacher in such a school, you are on you own between Sunday noon and the next Sunday morning. If you participate in a church committee, you meet once a month (or less often) and it takes many months to arrive at any decision which is not pressing, such as fixing a leaky roof. Monastic orders and other practices common among Catholics such as the Book of Hours schedules of prayer is one way to approach a desire to make one's life more holy.
Second, the growth of the relative number of elderly in our population suggests a return to an extended family's living together for the younger to help care for the elderly. The problem is that decentralization of centers of employment may force one to travel far from one's `hometown' to find work. This is ok. Everyone should get the best job they can find, to permit retirement while they can still enjoy it, and assist in a community life. Thus, an extended family living under the same roof may consist of many who are not related by blood.
Third, the exhaustion of fossil fuels sometime in the future, maybe within the next 100 years, may make `living locally' a necessity rather than a culinary catch-phrase. A community which can grow 40% of its own food and have the skills to make and repair clothing will have a great advantage when gasoline costs $20 a galleon. Add a local water supply, a capacity to generate electricity from solar power, and people with medical skills as part of the community will save enormous resources to buffer the community against difficult times.
The most obvious models for this kind of life are the communes of the 1960's, the American utopian communities of the 19th century, and the cloistered monastic orders. The first was a flash in the pan, most valuable for showing the way and creating The Whole Earth Catalogue. The second was more successful, but still not a keeper. The third was by far the most stable model, with some 317 different orders and monasteries in Europe going back for a millennium. The rule of St. Benedict is one of the earliest (530 CE), and the one which was copied by many cloistered orders such as the Trappist .
The Rule of St. Benedict is available in several different editions, and all are inexpensive. This Vintage edition has a nice preface and a history of early Christian monasticism up to St. Benedict.
My overall impression is that this rule is not unlike a lifelong Marine boot camp, except that the drill sergeants don't raise their voices and don't use profanity. Otherwise, it is a rule to empty oneself of ego and any desires for possessions, yielding an all-encompassing feeling of humility and subservience to the order and to God. One also gets the feeling that there is an air of the English workhouse of the 17--19th centuries. One submitted to the rules of the house and did work, in exchange for food and a place to eat.
The most common form of punishment was excommunication, which was not the same as expulsion from the community, but an `in place' severance from the sacrament and from communication with fellow monks. It was probably seen as the earthly version of the OT sense that God had turned his back on you. Corporeal punishment was also common, similar to the workhouses, and far more common than in Marine Corp basic training.
Much of the `rule' is taken up by the schedule for worship. This uses several terms unfamiliar to we us today, such as:
Matins 3 AM Vigil
Lauds Dawn
Prime 7 AM Arising
Terce 9 AM
Sext Noon
Nones 3 PM
Vespers 6 PM
Compline 9 PM Retiring
There is nothing about how work is apportioned between, agriculture and crafts. And there is virtually nothing regarding creative intellectual work, as one may find today among orders such as the Jesuits (and the Dominicans) which operate colleges today. The rule rarely goes far beyond the simple statements in the Bible on how food and duties are apportioned by abilities and needs. There is also virtually nothing regarding work to produce items for sale, although there is a fair amount of instruction on craftsmen not being proud of their work.
There is an excellent index on the sources of all Biblical quotes, and it is not too surprising to find many from the Psalms (the authors of which are referred to as `the prophet'), Proverbs, and Sirach.
It is fair to say that this model is simply unworkable today. Even the most celebrated Trappist, Thomas Merton, was able to find time to write and publish many books. A modern `rule' would have to take care of the complexities of the law, acquiring funds to purchase what they could not make, and the expenses of medical care. I can see huge moral and legal issues if a `poor' community like this ignores prompt medical treatment. Could such a community qualify for a group medical insurance rate?
Aside from its use as an historical document, this rule shows the limits of human reverence and humility. It is not for everyone, but it may be a specter of what life may be like if and when the exhaustion of resources brings on a new `Dark Ages'. This may be an inspiration to the new monasticism movements of today.
Benedict's Rule: Food for Reflection July 26, 2008
M. L. Asselin (Bethesda, MD USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
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.
Classic Resource for Christian Faith March 31, 2008
Russell Peek (Mt. Pleasant, SC)
This is a must read for anyone dabbling into Christian spirituality. Especially helpful are the introductions that include a brief history about monasticism and an essay written by Thomas More.
Lots of great lessons here. March 18, 2008
Joel (Oak Hills)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have the Vintage Spiritual Classics edition. I really like the Vintage Spiritual Classics series. They do a great job of presented the texts, and the covers are nice as well. The text of the rule was originally in Latin, the translation presented in this text is known as RB1980 which was translated by Timothy Fry.
The rule is not very long. In my copy the text of the rule takes 63 pages. The most interesting (and relevant) part of the rule is the first seven chapters. These chapters talk about the qualifications of the abbot, how a monk should go about his business, obedience, restraint in speech, humility etc. There is really great stuff in here!
Here's a great example of the kind of stuff in the rule: "Your way of acting should be different from the world's way; the love of Christ must come before all else. You are not to act in anger or nurse a grudge. Rid your heart of all deceit. Never give a hollow greeting of peace or turn away when somebody needs your love. Bind yourself to no oath lest it prove false, but speak the truth with heart and tongue."
I can't see anything there that requires you to be monk to benefit! Beyond the first seven chapters, there are very interesting things to be gleaned from the rule. The psalms are the heart of the monastic life, prayer the chief concern. The rule provides for spiritual guidance as well as how a group of men will get along living together every day.
On the whole I think the rule is fantastic. I have no desire to be a monk, I'd much rather be married :-) But I think we can learn from the rule and from the life of the monastics. I don't know that I would recommend you run out and buy the book, I'd say read the text online and see if you want to own a copy first.
Joel
Showing reviews 1-5 of 14
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