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ehays84's review
5.0
I love Esther deWaal's work. I want to read everything she has written because she does such a good job of getting to the heart of ancient Christian thinking and practice and making it accessible to our world today. She has a love for the theology, history, and every day life of the people she describes.
I read this one while I was reading the Rule of St. Benedict, and it very much helped inform my reading. It is a nice short work that breaks the Rule down into important themes. Her references to other related primary and secondary words are very helpful, and her prayers at the end of each chapter make this really a devotional read.
I highly recommend this work and anything else deWaal has done.
I read this one while I was reading the Rule of St. Benedict, and it very much helped inform my reading. It is a nice short work that breaks the Rule down into important themes. Her references to other related primary and secondary words are very helpful, and her prayers at the end of each chapter make this really a devotional read.
I highly recommend this work and anything else deWaal has done.
rachelb36's review
3.0
There were some good points in this, but I felt they were obscured by unnecessary academic/formal language. It's also a bit long-winded/repetitive.
While most of the book is written in a vague, objective way, there are random personal comments here and there relating some random points of the author's life as a wife and mother. These just didn't meld with the rest of the book, and since she didn't give examples of other life situations, I couldn't relate.
This is about the Benedictine tradition within Catholicism, so naturally, there are a few references to Catholic ideas/scriptures with which I disagree.
I appreciate that it seemed like Benedict was ultimately focused on Christ, but I guess I don't understand why there's so much focus on his "Rule" instead of just the Bible. I understand seeking out wisdom and clarification here and there from extra-Biblical sources; I don't understand fixating on one particular extra-Biblical text and treating it almost like the sacred text itself, molding a life around this rule instead of the Gospel more directly.
While most of the book is written in a vague, objective way, there are random personal comments here and there relating some random points of the author's life as a wife and mother. These just didn't meld with the rest of the book, and since she didn't give examples of other life situations, I couldn't relate.
This is about the Benedictine tradition within Catholicism, so naturally, there are a few references to Catholic ideas/scriptures with which I disagree.
I appreciate that it seemed like Benedict was ultimately focused on Christ, but I guess I don't understand why there's so much focus on his "Rule" instead of just the Bible. I understand seeking out wisdom and clarification here and there from extra-Biblical sources; I don't understand fixating on one particular extra-Biblical text and treating it almost like the sacred text itself, molding a life around this rule instead of the Gospel more directly.
gingerhelen's review
4.0
A wonderful introduction to the rule of St Benedict. Encouraging spiritual reflection but never losing sight of the reality of life and weaving in everyday acts that make this ancient Benedictine spirituality an inspiring invitation for the church today.
nickertz's review
5.0
This is one of the few books that I will buy for you if you read it. In this small book, there is so much wisdom, so much understanding. It takes a while to absorb everything. The Rule of Benedict is a remarkable work in its own right, this volume makes it clear how groundbreaking it was. Yet there is enough wisdom here 1500 years later that it works for modern man as well. Read this book.
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