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Always We Begin Again: The Benedictine Way of Living
This book holds timeless appeal for readers who hunger for a meaningful and creatively balanced framework for life. It offers a simple blueprint, based on the Rule of St. Benedict, to order one’s time and create physical and inner space, to step back from the demands and pressures of the moment, and to step into a place of peace.
While strict adherence to the Rule may be possible only in a monastic setting, its bedrock, the ordering of each day, is accessible to seekers of any creed or of no creed at all. The brief readings and meditations in this small book offer a bridge between a busy day and a moment of restorative and blessed silence.
“The original edition emphasized thankfulness, and this revision emphasizes loving-kindness... It continues to be my hope to put the wisdom of the Rule to work in my life, and when I fail (as I do consistently) to begin again.” —From the Preface
While strict adherence to the Rule may be possible only in a monastic setting, its bedrock, the ordering of each day, is accessible to seekers of any creed or of no creed at all. The brief readings and meditations in this small book offer a bridge between a busy day and a moment of restorative and blessed silence.
“The original edition emphasized thankfulness, and this revision emphasizes loving-kindness... It continues to be my hope to put the wisdom of the Rule to work in my life, and when I fail (as I do consistently) to begin again.” —From the Preface
81 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
February 20, 2016
I just re-read this book, after about a 10-12 year hiatus, and it was as good as I remember it. It is very short, and is essentially one long prayer.
Why did I like this book so much, considering I am not religious and this book is from a man (lawyer) who belongs to the Benedictines. First, the author professes/demonstrates an intense humility - a humility I should aspire to. Second, it is existential. I felt the same urgency reading this that I felt years ago when reading Nietzsche (Zarathustra) and Kierkegaard and Camus and Jaspers (among others). Third, the author refrains from any flowery or religious displays. His writing style is direct, crisp and concise. And he doesn't even use the word God (despite being a Christian) - in fact, at one point he even refers to "that which cannot be known."
I will be purchasing a copy to have for more frequent reference.
Why did I like this book so much, considering I am not religious and this book is from a man (lawyer) who belongs to the Benedictines. First, the author professes/demonstrates an intense humility - a humility I should aspire to. Second, it is existential. I felt the same urgency reading this that I felt years ago when reading Nietzsche (Zarathustra) and Kierkegaard and Camus and Jaspers (among others). Third, the author refrains from any flowery or religious displays. His writing style is direct, crisp and concise. And he doesn't even use the word God (despite being a Christian) - in fact, at one point he even refers to "that which cannot be known."
I will be purchasing a copy to have for more frequent reference.
April 9, 2020
I tend to stay away from books like ALWAYS WE BEGIN AGAIN, works of religious musings, spiritual guidance or, in general, anything smacking of self-help. In fact, I'm positively averse to these genres. Too often books in this realm aren't really introspective at all, they are prescriptive, which seems to me to be an extreme act of hubris, especially given the limited backgrounds of some of the authors who deign to tell you what to think or how to live. You don't know me.
But, these are tremulous days when many of us have some extra time on our hands. Can't watch Netflix all the time. A friend presented me with a copy of ALWAYS WE BEGIN AGAIN, and it is short enough not to scare off a look.
The author is attempting to translate the the Rule of St. Benedict, produced in the sixth century, for a 21st century audience. It works. I wouldn't say it is life-changing, but it is thoughtful and that is curiously calming as I write this review in the midst of a pandemic. McQuiston uses inclusive language throughout, and that has been the subject of criticism by some readers who want to retain St. Benedict's Christian focus. But, because McQuiston uses more universal language, the emphasis becomes what ties us all together, no matter our background or religious affiliation. That is heartening. A focus on being present and on kindness works in prayer, at a family supper, and even in yoga class. It works in a lot of ways throughout our everyday. Science even gets a place at the table, as the preface informs us that brain studies have revealed that meditation and prayer make us happier. This is a short book that merits a read, if only because it might cause you to sit and think for a bit.
The monastic life
no longer seems attractive.
But some habits might.
But, these are tremulous days when many of us have some extra time on our hands. Can't watch Netflix all the time. A friend presented me with a copy of ALWAYS WE BEGIN AGAIN, and it is short enough not to scare off a look.
The author is attempting to translate the the Rule of St. Benedict, produced in the sixth century, for a 21st century audience. It works. I wouldn't say it is life-changing, but it is thoughtful and that is curiously calming as I write this review in the midst of a pandemic. McQuiston uses inclusive language throughout, and that has been the subject of criticism by some readers who want to retain St. Benedict's Christian focus. But, because McQuiston uses more universal language, the emphasis becomes what ties us all together, no matter our background or religious affiliation. That is heartening. A focus on being present and on kindness works in prayer, at a family supper, and even in yoga class. It works in a lot of ways throughout our everyday. Science even gets a place at the table, as the preface informs us that brain studies have revealed that meditation and prayer make us happier. This is a short book that merits a read, if only because it might cause you to sit and think for a bit.
The monastic life
no longer seems attractive.
But some habits might.
July 5, 2016
Another modern classic about a monastic way of life written by a Protestant. It's like Catholics don't find the Rule of St. Benedict as interesting.
Unfortunately, this is really not about the Benedictine way of life, it's about the author's idea of it, disconnected from any strong ideas about the nature of God or the church, which is combined with some Annie Dillard, Metta Bhavana, and Tao Te Ching. I'm a fan of Dillard, but I definitely would not call her a Benedictine. Benedict's emphasis on obedience to authority is lost here; the prayers that McQuiston includes aren't really directed to God, which makes the book more Buddhist than Benedictine, more Julia Cameron than Esther de Waal.
Unfortunately, this is really not about the Benedictine way of life, it's about the author's idea of it, disconnected from any strong ideas about the nature of God or the church, which is combined with some Annie Dillard, Metta Bhavana, and Tao Te Ching. I'm a fan of Dillard, but I definitely would not call her a Benedictine. Benedict's emphasis on obedience to authority is lost here; the prayers that McQuiston includes aren't really directed to God, which makes the book more Buddhist than Benedictine, more Julia Cameron than Esther de Waal.
April 15, 2019
If there was one book that I'd recommend to just about anyone, this would be it. The general advice offered in this short rendition of The Benedictine Rule is profound and life changing. Each sentence carries substance and significance. This is a book to be read repeatedly, similar to the Tao Te Ching in some ways.
As of note, McQuiston changed the language from being exclusively Christian to encompassing all (on a generic level). Therefore, "God" is referred to in language such as the Infinite Mystery, etc.
As of note, McQuiston changed the language from being exclusively Christian to encompassing all (on a generic level). Therefore, "God" is referred to in language such as the Infinite Mystery, etc.
April 26, 2019
McQuiston summarizes the Rule of Saint Benedict in a way that is adaptable for those who don’t live in a monastery. It is also adaptable for those who do not practice Christianity. A good starting point for those who know nothing about the Rule and are not interested in studying the Rule in depth, especially for non-Christians. Profitable and easy reading.
December 21, 2014
The Rule of Saint Benedict, reinterpreted for modernity. I'm disillusioned with modernity, so I wasn't really into this book.
May 16, 2021
Recommended as a favorite by a cooking, gardening, chicken owning obgyn friend.
April 7, 2013
Words to live by. A paraphased modern interpretation of The Rule of St. Benedict, purposefully shorn of its Medieval monkish context and much of its specifically Christian context as well. It is very simple to read and understand and of course takes practice to put into practice. It reminds me of much of current Westernized yoga spirituality, which gives me some hope that twisting myself into a human pretzel is not actually required to work towards peace of mind, unless one finds that useful.
As a brief taste, the phrase always we begin again refers to recovery after failure and the wonderfully liberating idea that every day is indeed a new day and the past can largely be set aside if desired. Another practice that speaks to me is that of dividing the day up into several segments, each devoted primarily to one essential activity: meditation, work, community, meals, physical activity, learning, and relaxation.
As a brief taste, the phrase always we begin again refers to recovery after failure and the wonderfully liberating idea that every day is indeed a new day and the past can largely be set aside if desired. Another practice that speaks to me is that of dividing the day up into several segments, each devoted primarily to one essential activity: meditation, work, community, meals, physical activity, learning, and relaxation.
June 12, 2017
This is a short adaptation of the Rule of Saint Benedict for today, and it is by far the best adaptation that I have read. There have been many other attempts to adapt this 6th century monastic Rule, such as those of Joan Chittister, but this little book is infused with interfaith awareness and wisdom that allows the spirit of Benedict's path of the spiritual life to be heard and appropriated by a wide audience who might otherwise be put off by the language of the Rule. The small format allows this to be a handbook that one can carry easily, thereby really becoming a personal rule of life. I'm not sure how I haven't known about this book until now, but I am glad I found it.
December 22, 2020
The Rule of Benedict made accessible
July 11, 2017
I read this book as a daily reflection with morning devotions. It is meant to be read a few or even many times to help you structure your life around God using the Benedictine rule re-written for those not living in a Benedictine Order. The book is well laid out, thought provoking and I will read it again, possibly yearly.
August 13, 2017
Adaptation of the Rule of Benedict of Nursia for people today who may not have nor want a life within a church setting. The author does an excellent job of capturing the spurs of the Rule.
This (2006) was my first introduction to Benedict and his Rule and I found it inspiring. Indeed, it was the springboard into my foray into monasticism and influences my daily life.
This (2006) was my first introduction to Benedict and his Rule and I found it inspiring. Indeed, it was the springboard into my foray into monasticism and influences my daily life.
March 16, 2018
This text was a paraphrase of the Rule of Benedict. McQuiston has taken the RoB and framed it into a modern context. For me, this was successful and helped me understand the Rule more deeply. Having read another of his texts, I can see how his personal theology shows forth in this paraphrasing. However, since my theology is fairly similar to his, it worked for me.
September 4, 2021
I do appreciate the Rule of Saint Benedict. And when laypeople translate, it is even more interesting to me. I am reading this at a time when the sense of community in the world is sort of compromised by people’s opinions and frustrations and fears. This was a comfort to remember what it looks like when individuals act as a community.
April 1, 2024
"The world does not depend on you." I loved this message as it applies to our work and the superficiality of it all. The work is the work and it is and will be done. I'm thankful for pieces like this that don't rush us into hyperactivity. The sensibilities that we could all abide by.
July 13, 2023
Very wise and very practical!
July 19, 2025
A light and practical spiritual book. I especially appreciated what it says about varying the disciplines within one’s routine while still honoring the routine itself.
October 30, 2025
The Regula didn’t need an upgrade.
May 12, 2018
This is a condensed and modernized take on the Order of St. Benedict. McQuiston, an attorney in Tennessee, was looking for a renewal of his faith after years of traditional Bible study had run dry. Like many before him, McQuiston turned to the wisdom of monastics and mystics and discovered, particularly in the simple rhythm and rule of the Benedictines, a way of living that brought him into direct and regular engagement with the Holy Spirit.
This is the sort of book that, while short, took a long time for me to work through. I couldn't just bounce from one chapter to the next. Each reflection was like a full meal that needed time for digestion before anything else could be consumed. And since the purpose of this book is to make monastic life, in some sense, achievable for those of us who do not and will likely never live in monastic community, in each section I was thinking about how the teachings could be applied to my circumstances at home, at work, and in my neighborhood.
Of particular impact is the section on humilty. Like Benedict before him, McQuiston offers twelves stages of humility. They are not ordered like a pyramid, with one stage laying the foundation for the next, but more like an hourglass. The first five describe states of mind to be cultivated, the sixth and seventh establish the hinge point that lead to the final five stages which describe action. The way I see it, we are to be like the grains of sand which move down to the narrow center and then expand back out, only to be turned over and to repeat the process again, and again.
I've read some of the criticism for this book is that it does not explicitly point to Christian Scripture. Since this is part of McQuiston's intention, I don't see how he can be criticized for doing it effectively. His goal is, I believe, a Christ-like one: share the truth about how to live life fully in such a generous way that anyone, regardless of background or language, can read it and be transformed by it. This will stay with me in my messenger bag for awhile.
This is the sort of book that, while short, took a long time for me to work through. I couldn't just bounce from one chapter to the next. Each reflection was like a full meal that needed time for digestion before anything else could be consumed. And since the purpose of this book is to make monastic life, in some sense, achievable for those of us who do not and will likely never live in monastic community, in each section I was thinking about how the teachings could be applied to my circumstances at home, at work, and in my neighborhood.
Of particular impact is the section on humilty. Like Benedict before him, McQuiston offers twelves stages of humility. They are not ordered like a pyramid, with one stage laying the foundation for the next, but more like an hourglass. The first five describe states of mind to be cultivated, the sixth and seventh establish the hinge point that lead to the final five stages which describe action. The way I see it, we are to be like the grains of sand which move down to the narrow center and then expand back out, only to be turned over and to repeat the process again, and again.
I've read some of the criticism for this book is that it does not explicitly point to Christian Scripture. Since this is part of McQuiston's intention, I don't see how he can be criticized for doing it effectively. His goal is, I believe, a Christ-like one: share the truth about how to live life fully in such a generous way that anyone, regardless of background or language, can read it and be transformed by it. This will stay with me in my messenger bag for awhile.
March 7, 2016
I read this because a Law Student recommended it very highly. She rereads it constantly and draws fruit from it. The author is a lawyer who had a personal conversion because of Benedict's rule. But, as he put it:
"Over time I "translated" the Rule and the service of Morning Prayer into my own words.
Because the more traditional language and images used by the institutional church and by
Saint Benedict had lost much of is ability to communicate o me,my purpose in restating was to
make the core insights of the Rule more accessible. I needed to free the underlying methods
and principles of the Rule from their original context and terminology to make them relevant
to me. Some of these changes were appropriate because I do not live in a monastery. Others
resulted for more subtle reasons. For example, because of my particular viewpoint,it seemed
more authentic to speak of the profound mystery of which we are a part, than to use any
established religion's name for the Ultimate. I do not say it was more authentic, merely that it
seemed so to me.
Most significantly I wanted to stress the critical importance of our pattern of response to life,
rather than espousing any particular creed."
This is a very good book for its purposes. But it is a secularized version of St. Benedict. It is certainly not based on a Christian vision of the universe.
It may be based on a desire to accommodate the treasures of Christian belief to modernity. And if so, then I do have problems with it.
"Over time I "translated" the Rule and the service of Morning Prayer into my own words.
Because the more traditional language and images used by the institutional church and by
Saint Benedict had lost much of is ability to communicate o me,my purpose in restating was to
make the core insights of the Rule more accessible. I needed to free the underlying methods
and principles of the Rule from their original context and terminology to make them relevant
to me. Some of these changes were appropriate because I do not live in a monastery. Others
resulted for more subtle reasons. For example, because of my particular viewpoint,it seemed
more authentic to speak of the profound mystery of which we are a part, than to use any
established religion's name for the Ultimate. I do not say it was more authentic, merely that it
seemed so to me.
Most significantly I wanted to stress the critical importance of our pattern of response to life,
rather than espousing any particular creed."
This is a very good book for its purposes. But it is a secularized version of St. Benedict. It is certainly not based on a Christian vision of the universe.
It may be based on a desire to accommodate the treasures of Christian belief to modernity. And if so, then I do have problems with it.
August 8, 2011
If you want to live a spiritual life, this short handbook is a very nice guide for people who live "in the world". Most of the book consists of a series of very short chapters on aspects of or restatements of the Rule of Saint Benedict. These chapters included "essays" on humility, leadership, and so forth. They can be read over and over and meditated on.
The second part of the book contains suggestions for the organization of one's day into a prayerful discipline. The value of this part of the book for me was how brief some of the "stops" in the day can be. I am a busy lawyer like Mr. McQuiston, and the encouragement of the suggestions --- and his validation of short prayer --- was helpful. One is also encouraged to make one's own schedule of "hours". There are some meditations in the form of quotes from others.
This is a book inspired by a Christian way of life, and I found it to be a good book for me who am a Christian. However, Mr. McQuiston, a practicing lawyer, made an effort not to use the word "God" and to be as inclusive as possible. I personally found avoidance of the word "God" somewhat strange, but I applaud the inclusiveness to account for persons who think of the ground of being (to borrow a term) in different ways than I do.
The second part of the book contains suggestions for the organization of one's day into a prayerful discipline. The value of this part of the book for me was how brief some of the "stops" in the day can be. I am a busy lawyer like Mr. McQuiston, and the encouragement of the suggestions --- and his validation of short prayer --- was helpful. One is also encouraged to make one's own schedule of "hours". There are some meditations in the form of quotes from others.
This is a book inspired by a Christian way of life, and I found it to be a good book for me who am a Christian. However, Mr. McQuiston, a practicing lawyer, made an effort not to use the word "God" and to be as inclusive as possible. I personally found avoidance of the word "God" somewhat strange, but I applaud the inclusiveness to account for persons who think of the ground of being (to borrow a term) in different ways than I do.
Read
January 6, 2023Those Benedictine monks were onto something
November 19, 2013
This book is about "a way of being in the world." It is based on the Rule of Saint Benedict, the 6th century monk and monastery abbot, but refashioned for today, addressing people living busy and stressful lives. It encourages developing a life lived out of humility and compassion, but is realistic as well, hence its title. There is much wisdom here, although sometimes the author tries too hard to avoid naming God. Nevertheless, McQuiston is clear and convincing about the benefits of attitudes and actions, kindness and care for others, more so than "mere belief," as a path toward an abundant life.
February 23, 2021
As it says in the forward to the revised edition, this is not a book to read, it's a book to absorb. I read a borrowed copy, and need to get my own so I can do that. Only one thing bothered me a bit: in the part on centering prayer, it says to choose a phrase of a few words to return to when your thoughts drift. My understanding is that you should choose one word of no more than two sylables, and try not to focus on the meaning of the word. I recommend Open Mind, Open Heart by Thomas Keating on the subject of centering prayer.
November 14, 2020
An Alternative Benedict
A “modern” take on the Rule of Benedict, with a distinctively Eastern and even Theosophical feel. For those who are purists, you’ll be a bit put off by the read. However, entering it from outside Benedictine spirituality and looking for a more universal introduction, this book is a great tool.
A “modern” take on the Rule of Benedict, with a distinctively Eastern and even Theosophical feel. For those who are purists, you’ll be a bit put off by the read. However, entering it from outside Benedictine spirituality and looking for a more universal introduction, this book is a great tool.
February 10, 2021
A thoughtful book on living the Benedictine Rule of Life, I read the first edition when it came out and was powerfully moved. That book was lost in a move and when I wanted to reference a passage in a sermon I ordered this new edition. Practical and inspiring I would recommend it to anyone interested in building a Rule of Life based on the Rule of St. Benedict.
June 24, 2012
I love this book. Written by a lawyer, it is a very readable interpretation of the Benedictine way of life - wonderful guidelines for living. My favorite is the First Rule, which, in essence, is to alway be grateful.
January 16, 2020
This is a wonderful wonderful way to translate Benedict's rule into a useable guide for Christian living.
This book represents a marvelous way of translating Benedict' a rule into a guide for Christian living. Bravo Benedict and Bravo John!
This book represents a marvelous way of translating Benedict' a rule into a guide for Christian living. Bravo Benedict and Bravo John!
February 7, 2021
Didn't enjoy this as much as I'd hoped. The sections on humility, stewardship and service were worth the read. The rest just fell flat. If you really want to know more about this subject, I'd suggest another book. This one was too short for the kind of information I was looking for.
May 31, 2021
This book by John McQuiston II is a little jewel. McQuiston, an attorney in Memphis, TN, takes the Rule of St. Benedict & adapts it to modern life. Don't read it all at one time. Read a few pages & meditate on what he says. This is a must read for Benedictine monks & oblates.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews