The Rule of Benedict: A Spirituality for the 21st Century

by Joan D. Chittister

This new edition of a classic religious text combines the timeless wisdom of Benedict of Nursia's Rule with the perceptive commentary of a renowned Benedictine mystic and scholar. In her new introduction to the Rule, the author boldly claims that Benedict's sixth-century text is the only one of great traditions that directly touches the contemporary issues facing the human community—stewardship, conversion, communication, reflection, contemplation, humility, and equality. Tracing Benedict's original Rule paragraph by paragraph, it expands its principles into the larger context of spiritual living in a secular world and makes the seemingly archaic instructions relevant for a contemporary audience. A new foreword, updated content, an appendix, and a recommended calendar for reading the entries and commentaries make this an invaluable resource for solitary or communal contemplation.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction, Theology, Faith, Christian

329 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 25, 1992

About the author

Joan Daugherty Chittister, O.S.B., is an American Benedictine nun, theologian, author, and speaker. She has served as Benedictine prioress and Benedictine federation president, president of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious, and co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women.

Reviews

[CatholicDadsHQ.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

The insights gained from this book are powerful, and derived from just a few minutes a day of reading. I highly recommend this book as a starting point for anyone with a busy schedule. After reading it, you will find, as I did, how much can be done in life to walk closer with Christ.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Rule of Benedict was originally written more than 1,500 years ago. Chittester's book reproduces the rule (73 rules actually)with commentary for the modern reader.

The material is good and I would have given the book five stars if not for Chittester's insistence on making everything "gender neutral." Replacing the word "abbot" with "prioress or abbot" makes parts of the book tedious to read.

I would still reccommend the book to anyone interested in Benedictine spiritually. Just be prepared to wade through a lot of unnecessary words.

[Deacon Tom (Feeling Better) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spectacular

Great reflections and direct applications to daily life. Although it is a life lesson for us Benedictines and Oblates, Sr. Joan writes for all. Great Read.

[Barry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the past several years, my friendship with Brother Cassian, one of the monks at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA, has been a special blessing. I visit him occasionally, usually arriving at the monastery in time to join the community for Vespers, singing the Psalms set to Gregorian Chants, which is done antiphonally from choir stalls facing each other across the nave of the monastery church. Cassian was our prayer partner this past week because on Wednesday, after his first five years as a monk, he made his “Solemn Profession,” or final vows, to live the rest of his life as part of the monastic community.
While few people are called to monastic life, the basic principles they live by—community, prayer, and work—are also good ideas for those of us who don’t live in a monastery. Their tradition of Ora et Labora, “pray and work,” calls for seven daily “offices” or times when the monks cease their work and pray. Most evangelical Christians, when introduced to the daily Benedictine offices, are surprised to discover how biblical their prayers and worship are. For the most part, they come directly from Scripture.
The Psalms are apportioned across the seven daily hours of prayer so that the entire Psalter is prayed or sung through each week. Cassian also introduced me to what has become my favorite and most used prayer. Their daily offices begin with the words from Psalm 70:1, “O God, come to my assistance. O Lord, make haste to help me.” Keep that prayer on your lips and it will change your life!
Several years ago, I picked up Joan Chittister’s The Rule of Benedict, a brief and readable commentary on the leading guide for monastic living in Western Christianity for the past 1,500 years. This introduction to Benedictine spirituality—especially the practice of praying through the Psalms each week—was intriguing. So, I decided to try it for myself. For forty days I observed the seven hours of prayer each day: Vigils (night prayers), Lauds (sunrise), Terce (9 a.m.), Sext (noon), None (3 p.m.), Vespers (sunset), and Compline (evening prayers that “complete” the day just before retiring), praying through all 150 each week for six weeks.
It was a life-changing experience. I came to know God better through simple immersion in the Psalms based on a Christian tradition dating back to the sixth century. Following that first 40 days praying through the Psalms each week, I returned to my usual practice of morning and evening prayer using Scripture readings from the lectionary in the Book of Common Prayer. But from time to time, I return to the seven daily hours for special seasons of prayer and devotion.
While most of you will never worship in a monastery, all of us can experience a deeper vision of God’s beauty and majesty through the Psalms, just as the Jews saw Him in the Temple, the early Christians in the catacombs, and countless believers across the ages have seen him in the only inspired, infallible hymnal we have.
However you do it, immerse yourself in the Psalms. Read them. Study them. Sing them. Pray them. O how it will bless you, and change you forever.

[heardtheowl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not even Catholic but even I can get behind the Rules of Saint Benedict. I like this volume because it relates how people can apply to rule of St. Benedict everyday in their lives. I also love how the author incorporates the teachings of other religions into the book.

[Claudine · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first four-month daily reading of the Rule of Benedict with Joan Chittister's commentary (which was getting repetitive).

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Rule of Benedict is a simple rule book for monastic life that was written over 1500 years ago. In it one can learn about the importance of community life within the monastery. Each and every person is to submit to the rule, although all throughout there are exceptions because of unforeseen situations, and disobedience in regards to the rule will result in varying degrees of punishment. The rule speaks about all the various tasks that occur in a monastery whether the work of God or the work of their hands. The main thing stressed is that once one is committed to this way of life they are in it for life. There they become one of the community and all past identities are put behind them.

The appeal of this book is how the author relates the wisdom from this rule to people far removed from this way of living and thinking. Being able to see how this rule applies to twenty-first century life in work and home really makes this rule palatable. A main drawback of this book is that there is not a bibliography of all of the quotes the author uses. She acknowledges this in the acknowledgement page, but it would be helpful to be able to look at those other books of wisdom that she draws from to relate the wisdom from the rule to our lives today.

What stuck out the most was the exceptions to the rule. The ideal was always preferred, but life doesn't always come out that way.

[Brian Ross · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides an introduction, in the form of the full text and accompanying commentary, to the Rule of Benedict. Benedict of Nursia cited as the founder of western monasticism, wrote his rule in the 6th Century and it lives to this day. His rule describes both the principles and practice of monastery life (the Benedictine user manual, so to speak).

The Benedictine Rule was notable for many things, including preaching a course of moderation (not extreme asceticism, for instance), a life rooted in communal living (as opposed to living as a cloistered hermit), a life of obedience to God through the abbot or prioress, and a devotion to the practice of prayer, work and study.

The author, Joan Chittester, a Benedictine sister, describes and interprets the rule with a view to how it can be relevant to our lives today. Although not Catholic (or religious for that matter) myself, I nevertheless found much wisdom in its pages, and absolutely agree that there is much within that speaks to the human condition today, 1500 years after it was penned.

[Bonnie Westmark · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my 26th Chittister book and a required reading for us Benedictine Oblates at St. Placid Priory. We will be discussing it each month during our meetings. I can't get enough of Joan Chittister and truly believe she is a gift from God. Her perspective on the Rule helped me to gain insight and understand the reasoning behind it. She also helped me to apply it to my own life few as a teacher, friend, daughter, mother, grandmother and member of our society. I highly recommend this book to anyone searching for God.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a fairly good introduction to the Rule Of Benedict. It was helpful to have commentary to help interpret the original text. In some ways though the interpretation was a bit lacking. At times the author seemed to think there was nothing redeeming about modern society. It's a point that you an argue but the reality is that we are not all going to live in monasteries.

[Donna Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to read chapters of this for my class. I ended up reading the entire book. Joan Chittister did a great job of explaining the rules, in the context of other religions.

Our assignment helped us to write our own rules of life.

A must read for those looking for structure & a deeper meaning.

[Leah Colbeck · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not an easy read by any means but full of challenging, inspiring and centring wisdom. There is a lot to process here. I recommend more as a daily devotional than a read straight through book.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

I learned so much from this book about an ancient monastic way of life that continues today! The author does a good job of applying the principles to contemporary life in the “real world”. References to non-Christian philosophers and stories threw me off a bit though.

[Nancy Jurss · Rating 3 out of 5]

St. Benedict wrote the rule for his monasteries in 516. This became the foundation for thousands of monasteries in the Middle Ages and is the most common one used in today's monasteries. Before Benedict, most monks lived a life of extreme poverty and severe self-discipline. Benedict called for moderation and balance. Monks prayed for eight hours, worked and read for eight hours, and slept for eight hours. Chittister's interpretation adapts it for modern times and relates it to those living outside a religious community.

[Christy Baker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had been recommended to me by my spiritual director and a women's spiritual direction group I was in a fair number of years ago. I'd picked it up a couple of different times, but hadn't really resonated with it on first attempt. This time, I read through the daily readings to completion, but don't think I will continue with the recommended three times of reading through for a full year. Once feels sufficient for what I want to get out of it, even as I'm sure different depth and nuance could be picked up upon reading a second and third time through.
I've read other spiritual monthly themed books with commentaries by Sr. Joan Chittister and enjoyed her practical approach to religious themes and emphasis on application of Christian texts, both early mothers/fathers of church writing as well as bible and other faiths' traditions that intersect with themes common to all religious teachings. In the Rule of Benedict, she breaks down an old text that is the foundation, even today, of Benedictine monastic life. I found some of the original writing, as one would expect, to be a bit stiff in its theology and phrasing and tried to read with open mind and aware of context. There was, often enough to make it worth the effort and read, aspects of the teaching that felt like they could apply to my daily life and be reflected upon for what they might mean for a non-monastic liberal Christian today. To be sure, the rule is not liberal, but rather I can see application across gradations of Christianity. In particular, I found some of the sections on hospitality to resonate deeply with my own beliefs while I reflected deeply on the sections of authority and leadership, questioning to whom we submit and allow ourselves to be led and accountable to and under what circumstances/for what purpose.
It was at times a challenging read, but the daily format makes it easy to approach on this in small segments and allow it, much like a daily liturgical reading, to seep in a bit at a time and see what comes up and what correlations and lessons might be gained.

[Don Dunnington · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this as part of my Lenten observance. I found Chittister's commentary on the Rule helpful and challenging, making clear the focus and practice of Benedictine spirituality. Reading and discussing this book with a small group would be a valuable experience. I plan to read it again to be reminded of important aspects of the life of prayer and Christian community. As I read, I noted many comments I wanted to preserve--they are listed here:

“Obedience, Benedict says – the willingness to listen for the voice of God in life – is what will wrench us out of the limitations of our own landscape” (20).

”The person who prays for the presence of God is, ironically, already in the presence of God. The person who seeks God has already found God to some extent” (21).

”Benedict obviously believes that life lived fully his life lived on two planes: attention to God and attention to the good of the other” (24). Further, “an obligation to human community and a dependence on God, then, become the cornerstones of Benedictine life” (26).

”Clearly, for Benedict, God is not something to be achieved; God is a presence to be responded to but to home without the presents we cannot respond.… God is the breath we breathe. It is thanks to God that we have any idea of God at all… God is the reason that we can reach God” (27).

”The rule of Benedict reminds us that whatever authority we hold, we hold it for the good of the entire group, not for our own sense of self” (49).

”The end of Benedictine spirituality is to develop a transparent personality… Holiness… Has something to do with being who we say we are, claiming our truths, opening our hearts, giving ourselves to the other pure and unglossed… Benedict is intent on developing people who are what they seem to be” (51). [I noted in the margin that this statement reminds me of the Trevecca motto I have long appreciated: “To Be Rather Than To Seem.”]

”These tools of the spiritual life – justice, peacemaking, respect for all creation, trust in God – are the work of a lifetime” (56). In the section where Benedict talks about the ladder of humility, this comment by Chittister: “The fifth rung of the latter of humility is an unadorned and disarming one: Self– revelation… is necessary to growth.… The struggles we hide, psychologists tell us, are the struggles that consume us” (69).

"Even the desire to pray is the grace to pray. The movement to pray is the movement of God in our souls. Our ability to pray depends on the power in place of God in our life. We pray because God attracts us and we pray only because God is attracting us" (77).

”Every Sunday morning, just as the day breaks, Benedict asks us to say five specific songs: Psalm 67 ask for God’s continued blessings, Psalm 51 gives voice to our contrition, Psalm 118 recounts God’s goodness in times past, Psalm 62 pours out a longing for God, and psalms 148-150 bring the soul to a burst of praise. The structure itself, in other words, models the disposition of the soul before it’s gone” (80).
”Compline, the night prayer of the community, was built around three psalms (4, 91, and 134) designed to do what we all need to do at night: recognize that what we did that day was not perfect, hope that the next day will be better, praise the God who is love and grace brought us through another day, and go to bed trusting that the God who sees our every action is more concerned with our motives then with our failures” (88).

“Benedict says that the spiritual life is not simply what we think about; it is what we do because of what we think. It is possible, in fact, to spend our whole lives thinking about the spiritual life and never develop one" (110).

“Until we are able to have at least a little silence every day, both outside and in, both inside and out, we have no hope of coming to know either God or ourselves very well” (125).

“Monastic spirituality revolves around becoming a contributing part of a people of faith, living with them, learning with them, bearing their burdens, sharing their lives” (127).

“It is the single minded search for God that defines Benedictine spirituality” (134).

"The function of the artist in the monastery – and in the life of us all – is to make the transcended visible; to touch the soul in ways that match the soul; to enshrine beauty so that we may learn to see it; and to make where we live places of wonder” (150).

”Benedictine spirituality does not fear poverty; it fears the kind of self-sufficiency that frees people from the smelting effects of a communal spirituality” (156).

”The things we ruminate on, the things we insist on carrying in our minds and hearts, the things we refused to put down, the rule warns us, are really the things that poison us and erode our souls” (173).

”Benedictine spirituality is about caring for the people you live with and loving the people you don't and loving God more than yourself. Benedictine spirituality depends on listening for the voice of God everywhere in life, especially in one another and here.” (178)

”It is not what we read, he implies; it is what we become that counts. Every major religious tradition, in fact has called for a change of heart, a change of life rather than for simply an analysis of its literature” (179).

The closing paragraph of the book is a good summary: "Even at the end of his rule, Benedict does not promise that we will be perfect for having lived it. What Benedict does promise is that we will be disposed to the wheel of God, attuned to the presence of God, committed to the search for God, and just beginning to understand the power of God in our lives. Why? Because Benedictine simplicity gentles us into the arms of God. Benedictine community supports us on the way to God. Benedictine balance makes a wholesome journey possible. Monastic prayer, rooted in Scripture, lights the way. It is a way of life, the spirituality that makes the humdrum holy and the daily the stuff of high happiness. It is a way of that leads us to pursue life to its fullest. As this final chapter promises, the meaning of the human enterprise is for are taking if we will only follow the simple but profoundly life-altering way” (180).

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes start and end dates are deceptive and they are here. It looks like I've been reading this book shockingly long, but, really, I'm on my third way through it. That is an indication I may be liking it. It is also an indication of what kind of book it is.

This is a commentary by the notable nun, Sister Joan Chittister, on the Rule of Commentary. What makes it especially useful is that it is organized into daily chunks and put into a calendar which allows one to read it through three times. This is, very much, a monastic practice- reading a portion of the Rule and for Benedict groupies like me, it is a good way to organize a reading of the rule. So, that is one reason why I keep re-reading it.

Another reason is that this is a gentle, thoughtful and insightful commentary on a Rule which retains its significance, but needs interpretation to make sense in the modern age. Sister Chittister carefully explains the rules and seeks to make real connections to the lives of people today- monastic and non-monastic. It is a good way to start your day.

[Bob Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

Looking for a 'good' devotional? Then look no further, the Rule of Benedict is here!

Joan Chittister has done the Church a great favor by taking Benedict's Rule and arranging it for daily reading.

The Rule is good enough to stand on it's own, but Chittster has added daily thoughts to help the reader understand it and apply it to their lives in the 21st Century. She has taken a perfect text for because Benedict, while being strict to modern standards, is very adaptable for modern life. While it be hard at first to see how a 1500 year old document applies to our lives, Chittister's insights provide valuable contributions to modern spirituality.

The writing is very clear and accessible (even Benedict's sections). I highly recommend this book for Christians all who want to deepen their spiritual walk.

Grade: A

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not my favorite commentary on the Rule of St Benedict but it is a good place to start. In short daily essays, Sr. Joan goes through the ROB relating it to today’s world. It was helpful to me in providing an entry into this document from the 6th century. Human nature hasn’t changed and Benedict demonstrated keen insight into the challenges inherent in trying to follow a Christian lifestyle. Most of us function in communities of one type or another -families, friends, coworkers, churches, schools, etc., and Benedict addresses how to lead as well as how to follow in a group.

My only problem with the book is that I found Sr Joan’s style tedious. It began to feel preachy after a while. I know people who love her writing - it is a matter of taste.

[J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a helpful and insightful book. With a book like this it certainly does seem possible that one could treat their own life as ones monastery. These seemingly monastic rules have been given a contemporary "living in the world" understanding as well and I think people would benefit from reading this book, it is somewhat simplistic making it easy for people to read. Nonetheless, I feel that this book reminds me of the scene in the New Testament when Jesus was asked what is The Greatest Commandment and The Law, and Jesus replies, "Love God and Love Your Neighbor as Yourself!"

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am currently on my second reading of this fine little book, and fully expect to begin reading it again upon completion. "The Rule" is intended as part of daily reading of the Benedictine monastic tradition. Sr. Joan provides commentary that breathes life into the ancient text, giving reverence to Benedict's wisdom and providing a life-affirming understanding of the rule as it applies to life today.

This volume is intended to be read as part of a daily routine. Each day provides wisdom to savor and contemplate.

I am delighted to have found this remarkable book.

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a day by day read, cycled through x 3 in calendar year -- the first time through, as part of a Lay Chaplaincy class, I was unimpressed but for a few comments noted in yellow marker -- being me, I had to go the distance -- second time through, huh, starting to hear some bells of spiritual sense -- liking her use of the Tao, and Jewish wisdom inserted - more markings in black ink ... Third time through, red ink and folded corners -- it's now among my possible re-reads .. took a while, but I now recommend this as a window to fresh possibility.

[Steven Strothman · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I marked this book as finished, I did not finish this book. I tired of reading it and found many parts of it not applicable to me and my life. A book like this would typically receive one star from me, but there are a couple great sections. The best was the section on humility. I am a person that firmly believes that humility is waining in our society. I also know that I am person that fights being prideful. So the ability to take some time and reflect on this difficult trait to ascertain was well worth the time.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book offers much to ponder on humility, obedience, community, balance, leadership and simplicity. The commentary is alternated with Benedict's text to give insight for application in the contemporary non-monastic Christian life. The book is arranged by date for three reading cycles per year, and I am trying to read a section each day. This has become a grounding experience for me as I face the daily struggles of this world.

[Susan A Davy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Benedictine Oblate reading and reflecting on the Rule is a daily ritual. This rendering takes the Rule into the 21st Century with thought provoking reflections. Sr. Joan's often used references to non-Christian ancient wisdom is refreshing and helps keeps meditations on a global perspective.

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Benedictine Oblate is to read part of the Rule each day, reading the whole Rule three times a year. this book follows that recommendation, each day providing clarification of the Rule in today's world. Sister Joan provides so much spiritual insight. I highly recommend this book for Oblate novices and even into one's second year.

I shall certainly read it again.

[Bernard Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sr. Joan has a way of delving into the depths of even the most obscure texts of the rule and finding wisdom for the ages. She shows how Benedict's wisdom has value for everyone in today's at times negative culture. I have read it many times as it forms an important part of one's daily reading from the rule.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author, Joan Chittister, is herself a Benedictine Sister, and in this book she provides extensive commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict which the Saint himself composed some 1,500 years ago. She shows how the Rule has relevance today for anyone seeking after God in today's world. Excellent for either individual reading or for a group study.

[Kevin Orth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful interpretation - in that it is gender neutral, appreciative of Taoist and Jewish awareness of Source while remaining true to the nature, meaning, and purpose of the The Rule of Benedict. Coming from a mystical Christian perspective, these elements ring true and make the text much more in line with my experience of the Divine. Highly recommend!

[Aggie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Joan Chittister...what can I say... she renders this ancient document to us in a very accessible way. Whether you agree with the path of monasticism or not, there is much wisdom here for consideration.