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A Life-Giving Way: A Commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict
Esther de Waal comes to the Rule of St. Benedict as a lay woman who has studied the Rule and striven to live it. Benedict has been for her both supportive and challenging, both guide and prophet. His Rule asks not for blind obedience and conformity but for personal responsibility. While the Rule offers much to those seeking a pattern to the structure of their day-to-day, exterior" life, which de Waal's previous commentaries have addressed, this commentary focuses on what Benedict tells us about the interior life. It takes the shape of prayerful reflections on his words of wisdom regarding the disposition of the heart. It leads the reader, as the Rule was meant to lead the novice, to answer the very personal question we must all, as Christians, "Am I truly seeking God?" Includes a copy of the Rule. Esther de Waal is a well-known author whose interests lie particularly in monastic and Celtic spirituality. Her first book, Seeking The Way of St. Benedict (The Liturgical Press), continues to be a bestseller and has-been translated world wide. It was followed by Living with Further Reflections on the Rule and, most recently, A World Made Rediscovering the Celtic Tradition and A Seven Day Journey with Thomas Merton . She is married with four grown-up sons and lives in the Welsh Borders. "
- GenresSpiritualityReligion
208 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1995
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 9, 2011
This is a modern commentary on the Rule of Benedict - chapter by chapter. Emphasis is on MOTIVE for action: "Benedict's way is directed to the Heart." This stresses humility and living in love and the love of Christ as well as constant "openness". There is another emphasis on the growth of community and the respect for individuals as children of God.
January 28, 2013
A chapter-by-chapter commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict with the same depth of insight as in her earlier books. An excellent aid for non-monastics seeking practical advice for applying the Rule to their lives.
November 24, 2011
A good reflection on the Rule of Saint Benedict by a layperson. A bit dense at times, but not overly difficult to read and digest.
April 16, 2012
A shade too dense and dry. I've read other author's interpretations of The Rule of Benedict and gotten more from them.
November 1, 2014
Great commentary and daily guide.
November 9, 2015
de Waal does an amazing job of pulling all the wisdom out of a text that is almost 1,500 years old and showing its continuing relevance to our lives and struggles today
July 5, 2026
This often-recommended guide by a laywoman experienced in the study of Benedictine spirituality is solid, if rather dry in tone. De Waal's insights often lingered in an unexpected part of this collection of essays on each chapter of the Rule, in the endnotes. There I found out about how she first met the monks who inspired her long study, as well as lots of scholarly references to enrich the commentary. Readers may miss this content if they close the book too soon, so a head's up....
However, in the text proper, she soldiers on in rather stolid fashion. I admire the diligence as certain sections on their surface defy easy application to today's life as pursued in the cloister 1500 years after these regulations and guidelines were penned, let alone our contemporary non-monastic society. She strives to find connections to prayer, meditation, action, work, and routines we all pursue. She notes how not only the (too sentimentalized in my opinion in popular "birdbath" culture) Franciscan and (her specialty) Celtic Christianity don't have a monopoly on environmental concerns, and that the Rule's attention to stewardship of material goods and stability in the place roots one in the soil, a proper discipline essential to staying put and not wandering in one's search.
De Waal comes from the Anglican tradition, so perhaps for audiences outside that denomination or culture, her observations may become diffused in their impact. I did highlight quite a bit, since she emphasizes the Psalms, the regulated and moderate tone of the Rule (contrary to cherry-picking online critics who reduce it to "no sex, no deadbeats, no laughing"). She situates the mindset of the Benedictine innovations within the necessity to combine the eremetical aspirations of the monk with the support provided by the cenobitical community, a balance needed after the Roman empire ended and the monasteries began to serve as hospitals, schools, hospices, and parochial centers.
Although of course she centers her approach on the transformation of the individual seeker over a lifetime. For the monastic practice, its repetition of the Daily Office and the alternation of working and contemplation, communal celebration and personal striving, is designed to shape one over the seasons and the years. It's not a quick fix, but akin maybe to the ancient Eastern rigor which many today turn to, here translated (the Rule itself precedes the comments in her revised edition) for those originally caught in the collision of Middle Eastern forebears who sought God apart from the city, and Mediterranean aspirants sick of the decadence and frivolity of metropolitan excess, and if this sounds relevant it's testimony to the rediscovered appeal of a document unexpectedly timely.
However, in the text proper, she soldiers on in rather stolid fashion. I admire the diligence as certain sections on their surface defy easy application to today's life as pursued in the cloister 1500 years after these regulations and guidelines were penned, let alone our contemporary non-monastic society. She strives to find connections to prayer, meditation, action, work, and routines we all pursue. She notes how not only the (too sentimentalized in my opinion in popular "birdbath" culture) Franciscan and (her specialty) Celtic Christianity don't have a monopoly on environmental concerns, and that the Rule's attention to stewardship of material goods and stability in the place roots one in the soil, a proper discipline essential to staying put and not wandering in one's search.
De Waal comes from the Anglican tradition, so perhaps for audiences outside that denomination or culture, her observations may become diffused in their impact. I did highlight quite a bit, since she emphasizes the Psalms, the regulated and moderate tone of the Rule (contrary to cherry-picking online critics who reduce it to "no sex, no deadbeats, no laughing"). She situates the mindset of the Benedictine innovations within the necessity to combine the eremetical aspirations of the monk with the support provided by the cenobitical community, a balance needed after the Roman empire ended and the monasteries began to serve as hospitals, schools, hospices, and parochial centers.
Although of course she centers her approach on the transformation of the individual seeker over a lifetime. For the monastic practice, its repetition of the Daily Office and the alternation of working and contemplation, communal celebration and personal striving, is designed to shape one over the seasons and the years. It's not a quick fix, but akin maybe to the ancient Eastern rigor which many today turn to, here translated (the Rule itself precedes the comments in her revised edition) for those originally caught in the collision of Middle Eastern forebears who sought God apart from the city, and Mediterranean aspirants sick of the decadence and frivolity of metropolitan excess, and if this sounds relevant it's testimony to the rediscovered appeal of a document unexpectedly timely.
April 17, 2021
This took me a looong time to read because it is rather dry a lot of the time. However, it is a very measured, applicable commentary on the Rule and I will return to it. I found it difficult to unpack the Rule when I read it straight through without commentary, and I appreciated that this does not give a specific slant for a particular state of life but rather demonstrates how the Rule is truly a guide for everyone to live the Gospel.
May 19, 2020
Solid 3.5, an excellent, thoughtful, meditative introduction to the Rule of St Bendict. At times I found it a bit repetitive, but I think that was an issue with the method of taking the Rule chapter by chapter. And of course, this had the positive result of being able to read it slowly, a chapter or 2 a day, without losing the thread.
November 10, 2021
A beautiful, prayerful reflection on the holy rule that makes it accessible to lay people. Quick and easy to read crammed with wonderful information. I am grateful for de Waal's commentary on the rule, and am excited to see what other works she has finished.
June 23, 2026
I first read this many years ago when looking for something more than a lightweight overview of the Rule. I re-read it again recently as I am looking to become an oblate. If either of these describes you, you will find this book beneficial.
December 31, 2024
I was assigned this book to read with my mentee at St. Placid Priory. I’ve been a Benedictine oblate at St. Placid for many years, so I’m glad to have finally read this informative book.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews