Pre-Benedictine Monasticism: Initiation into the Monastic Tradition 2

by Thomas Merton OCSO, Patrick F. O'Connell (Editor), Sidney H. Griffith (Preface by)

Charged with training young monks at Gethsemani Abbey, Thomas Merton combined his literary genius and his love of the monastic tradition to produce Monastic Orientation Notes as the bases of his classes. In this volume, he treats the many and varied forms of monastic life which preceded, and helped to form, the Rule of Saint Benedict.

440 pages, Paperback

First published December 30, 2006

Reviews

[Jack Hayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointed. The first volume in Monastic Initiation was a much clearer read, and was edited to read like a book. This book felt much more like reading some one’s lecture notes, which is what you are doing… This is for the hardcore Mertonian.

The material is repetitive too. This guy is a virgin, he barely eats and no one sees him ever again. This guy is a virgin and was a hermit and he went to the Holy Lands. This guy started a monastery. It is repetitive. I’m sure the lecture was a treat, but reading lecture notes is not. Though the Pachmonian Monasteries were interesting to learn about.

Also, it did spark a curiosity though about ancient travel literature. Eteriana and her journeys to the biblical sites was a fascinating thing and there probably is more to learn and read. Yet she wasn’t “interior” enough.

Neither am I.