Consider the Ravens: On Contemporary Hermit Life

by Paul A. Fredette, Karen Karper Fredette

If you have ever wondered about how hermits live, or if you are an active participant in the eremitical life, then its time to make this ultimate resource guide part of your book collection.

Written by the editors of Ravens Bread, an international quarterly newsletter that provides guidance on hermit life, Consider the Ravens is a seminal study on eremitism as it has developed since the 1950s.

Learn about

All aspects of the vocation, including spiritual, practical, and juridical Hazards of the hidden life Practical recommendations for beginners in eremitical life Extensive citations from desert fathers and mothers Exploration of eremitical spirituality.

Essentially, youll learn about the eremitic life straight from the hermits themselves, and its never an easy task to get their opinions and advice! The voices of many of todays hermits can now be heard loud and clear for the first time.

Find the answers to your questions about a vocation as old as spirituality itself and discover why eremitism is becoming more popular than ever in Consider the Ravens.

Genres: Reference, Nonfiction, Religion

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 18, 2008

Reviews

[Monty Milne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book will be most useful to those who are still within the Christian tradition, particularly the Roman Catholic part of it. To those who like me have moved far beyond that, it is a bit disappointing. The lengthy discussions of Canon 603 (the law in the Roman church that deals with regulating hermits) have no relevance and little interest for me. Some might also wonder about the extent of having-your-cake-and-eating-it that the authors go in for. (Can you really call yourself a hermit if you live in a sexual partnership, drive a car, and use the internet and the telephone? What would St Anthony of the Desert make of that?)

I do not doubt the good intentions of the authors, and there is a lot of useful advice about the practicalities of eremitic life. But although there is an acknowledgment of non-Christian (or post-Christian) hermits, the book is firmly focused on the Christian tradition. I would have like more on the secular Chinese hermit-scholar, living with his books in the wilderness and deliberately abstaining from involvement in worldly affairs whilst still enjoying the occasional company of a small circle of friends - but alas, this tradition - the one that seems most congenial to me - gets only a few glancing references. In the end, this book confirmed that for me Christianity is a road I have fully traveled, and left some distance behind.

[Koen Crolla · Rating 1 out of 5]

In retrospect I shouldn't be surprised this turned out to be a self-help grift—I'm not sure now what else it possibly could have been.

The Fredettes are here to reassure you that being a hermit doesn't require physical separation from society, or living in poverty, or celibacy, or even giving up your TV or computer—you can be a hermit and live in the city and shop at the supermarket and have an active social life and keep up with all your hobbies. You don't even have to be a particular religion, though it's assumed you're Christian and probably Catholic. (The Fredettes are Catholic, apparently, despite running a "ministry".) In fact, it's not especially clear what you do need to do to be a hermit, other than, I guess, subscribe to the Fredettes' newsletter, as thousands of "hermits" have done before you—only $10/year! ($12/year for hermits outside the US.)
Letters from subscribers make up a big chunk of the book, presumably to give an impression of "contemporary hermit life". The practical advice side of it is things like "have health insurance (but don't expect the diocese to pay for it)" and "try cultivating apatheia" (is there anything grifters love more than repackaging pop stoicism?), but it's really mostly about reassuring the reader that they're actually really sagacious for calling themselves hermits and they shouldn't feel guilty about hermitting wrong because there is no wrong way to hermit.

Americans turn everything into a fad.

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book. Loved reading about the ins and outs of how the heck you can make a life as a solitary. A neat window into the diversity of people who become hermits. Interesting facts about the life, i.e.: most women's religious communities make you leave the community if you want to become a solitary, and most men's communities not only let you stay, but usually you build your hermitage right on the property of the wider community. Strange. Also, RC bishops tend to discourage people from taking "official" eremitic vows because, basically, they don't want to be responsible for you, even though you required to promise to provide your own living. The disciplines of humility, hospitality, and simplicity of life were detailed beautifully. I like the conversational narrative, the excerpts from letters to the authors' hermit newsletter (Raven's Bread), and the little cartoons of their mascot, "Wood B. Hermit" (groan).

[Brian Wilcox · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful introduction to hermeticism for Christians, more so Catholics. This is not, as the subtitle would indicate, on contemporary hermit life, being too sectarian to apply to hermitic life in general. I found it distracting the attention given to Catholic 'law' applying to solitaries, as I have no interest in such 'law' or how the Catholic church attempts to regulate and oversee its solitaries. Likewise, assumptions are made, such as the the hermit will treat the Christian Bible as central to his or her devotion, which will not apply to solitaries who are of another tradition. Again, an excellent resource, mostly for Catholics, and a strength of the tome, which applies to all solitaries, is advice on meeting the practical needs which arise even for those in solitude; such as, money, a will, healthy boundaries with persons who may not respect the solitaries calling, ...

[Mael Brigde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book. I was recommended it by a hermit I follow on Twitter, of all places. The authors come from a Christian perspective, and at least one of them, a Catholic one. Therefore, most of what is written about in the book comes from that perspective, as well. However, they refer to other types of hermits, particularly Buddhist ones, in a number of places, and many of the principles that they discuss are of use to non-Christians, too.

The eremitic life has a lot of appeal for me, and to some degree I cultivate it in my own life: nurturing a close connection with nature, particularly the nature right outside my door, which I aid by providing an enriched environment for them to visit or spend their lives in; quieting the mind in solitude; daily reflecting on how I live this life, and how to be a more supportive presence in the world; spending time in contemplation, meditation, and prayer; nourishing my connection to the divine and my fellow travellers on this earth. But I often feel pretty scattered and ineffective in day-to-day life, particularly as it is lived under the cloak of chronic fatigue and chronic pain. I lose track of what is most important and sometimes wish for a little guidance. So I was eager to have a look at this book when it was mentioned to me.

There is much useful information, and ideas of actions and qualities to ponder and either adopt, or realise you have already adopted, and attempt to embody them more mindfully. There is a lot that won’t be of interest, particularly for Pagan readers, and there are a few instances of insensitivity or unaware bias that put my knickers in a twist. But I encourage anyone curious about, or particularly serious about, exploring an eremitic lifestyle to read this book and take from it what you will.

The authors also maintain a quarterly newsletter for hermits and do retreats and so on, so if you like what you see here, there is more.

[Fr. Nicholas Blackwell, O. Carm. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a hit-and-miss on the topic of hermits. Regarding the positive, there are some great insights about the eremitical life to be found in it. It also gives some great practical insights for one discerning this vocation. However, at times, the text goes on with extensive quotes from other texts. It also appears to come at this topic from a Christian perspective. Still, at times, they want to get into other philosophical forms of hermit life, and they don’t appreciate the differences between these philosophical underpinnings that arise from the Eastern perspective versus the Western Christian perspective. The author is also very unfriendly when it comes to current law on hermits in the Catholic Church, but yet when they want to make a point about the right for it to exist, it seems to exploit the reality of the law for that end. This may be an excellent text to read, and a chapter about that may impact some projects regarding hermits. The bibliography would be suitable for showing what sources to go to. Overall, I’m happy. I read it, although I had to force myself to get through certain parts.

[Booklass Garrahan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part history, part philosophy, part spiritual and totally enthralling. If you have ever made the comment,"I should go off and be a hermit," (No? Just me?) then this is the book for you. It is a social and spiritual history of contemporary hermit life, and I found it to be one of my top nonfiction books of all time. Why do people do it? Why SHOULD they do it? And when is it not a healthy answer to life? Etc.

[nullx002 · Rating 3 out of 5]

good practical advice but there is more to it than that.

[Tommy Beiter · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF’d around 30%. Sadly, this wasn’t what I was hoping for in reading about modern hermits and their lifestyle. It’s more of a history of religious hermits. Too much religion focus for me.

[Isadora Raven · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will be most useful to those who practice within the Christian tradition. However, it isn't without benefits for those who follow other paths. Obviously the Fredettes will mostly speak to those who share their views - I believe Karen K. Fredette was a Poor Clare nun - but their practical advice on the hermit life is valuable for anyone of any faith. The rigors and joys of solitary life are the same.

I am a practicing Buddhist, and while I found the spiritual elements of the book interesting, the pragmatic considerations of hermit life were what I came for, and I wasn't disappointed. There realities and questions that we can't avoid in the modern world, desert cells and cozy caves being in short supply. In this way the book serves as a set of reminders - things to think over and make certain you've addressed before retiring to your hermitage. Even the Church doesn't always care for its own eremitic individuals anymore, so it would be prudent to determine how you will live.

I consider this book, as well as the Raven's Bread Ministries website, to be an excellent starting point for anyone considering a hermit's vocation, no matter their religious beliefs. Ultimately you are going to have to create your own life, but there are people along the way willing to give helpful advice and point the way.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this dissapointing, as it was overly concerned with religious hermitude, and did not actually even acknowledge non-religious hermitude as even a valid concept, let alone discuss it.

I think there certainly is a gap in the market for books on Thoreau-style 'modern' hermits wanting to learn how others live in solitude in the present day.

I'd be particularly interested in a pratical guide, interviews and experiences with such people, and how to navigate the complexities of being immersed in the intricate 'web' of modern society and all its beaurocracy while still remaining living alone.

Particularly relevant would be the impact and use of technology such as the internet and how it has changed the whole idea.