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The Oblate Life
Recognizing that Benedictine oblates are a diverse and ever-changing lot, found throughout the world in a wide variety of circumstances, The Oblate Life embraces this richness of oblate expression and offers guidance for lifelong spiritual formation in the Rule of Saint Benedict. Drawing deeply on the wisdom of monastics and oblates from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia, The Oblate Life is designed as a perpetual source of aid, inspiration, and enlightenment for men and women oblates and candidates as well as oblate directors.
328 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
June 27, 2016
To finish out this year I have chosen to review the two best resources I’ve found for becoming a Benedictine Oblate. Both books are beautifully bound with durable hardcovers designed for years of use. They are similar in style and format with topical essays in easy to read chapters written by excellent contributing authors.
The Benedictine Handbook begins with a brief introduction to Saint Benedict and his Rule followed by the tools for Benedictine spirituality and how to practice them in our every day lives whether we live in a community or as a solitary. The Benedictine Handbook is an excellent resource to help you understand the basics of the Benedictine lifestyle and the foundation of this type of spiritual walk.
The Oblate Life though very similar in style and format regarding Benedictine history and spirituality, it focuses mostly on what it means to live as a Benedictine oblate. Whether married with a family or single, in our community or the church, the essays cover all areas and seasons of life. The bibliography in The Oblate Life is an excellent list of resources to help us delve deeper into all things Benedictine.
If you feel called to the Benedictine spiritual walk both of these books are a must have for your library. The Benedictine Handbook and The Oblate Life both serve as a great introductions to many of the best Benedictine authors in the market today. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying both books and will continue to for years to come.
The Benedictine Handbook begins with a brief introduction to Saint Benedict and his Rule followed by the tools for Benedictine spirituality and how to practice them in our every day lives whether we live in a community or as a solitary. The Benedictine Handbook is an excellent resource to help you understand the basics of the Benedictine lifestyle and the foundation of this type of spiritual walk.
The Oblate Life though very similar in style and format regarding Benedictine history and spirituality, it focuses mostly on what it means to live as a Benedictine oblate. Whether married with a family or single, in our community or the church, the essays cover all areas and seasons of life. The bibliography in The Oblate Life is an excellent list of resources to help us delve deeper into all things Benedictine.
If you feel called to the Benedictine spiritual walk both of these books are a must have for your library. The Benedictine Handbook and The Oblate Life both serve as a great introductions to many of the best Benedictine authors in the market today. I have thoroughly enjoyed studying both books and will continue to for years to come.
April 27, 2024
Having been a professed oblate for 27 years in The Order of Julian of Norwich, an order whose rule is influenced by the Rule of St. Benedict, I still found this collection of articles very valuable & helpful.
Directed particularly for Benedictine Oblates, it is a good refresher of the history of St. Benedict & his Rule, and contains a wonderful & practical suggestions for oblates of any order, as well as a fine collection of Appendices Resources for oblates.
Directed particularly for Benedictine Oblates, it is a good refresher of the history of St. Benedict & his Rule, and contains a wonderful & practical suggestions for oblates of any order, as well as a fine collection of Appendices Resources for oblates.
August 14, 2011
Nice volume of pieces for Benedictine oblates, or anyone who is interested in living out monastic values outside of a monastery. Each chapter by a different author, some are better than others, but if you don't mind skimming a few chapters that don't speak to you then the remainder is excellent. I especially appreciated the chapters on social media and lectio divina.
July 4, 2026
Living now near a Benedictine Abbey, I've become curious about the oblates, those affiliated with the monastery from among Christians, not only Catholics. I borrowed this rather hard-to-find book from interlibrary loan, as collections of essays tend to not be re-read by me, and I was uncertain of the value of the contributions from online reviews I'd gleaned. It tilts towards the Anglican as well as Catholic denominations, and broad in approach, appealing to an ecumenical liberal readership, although Americans feature in those providing brief pieces of varying worth and enduring insights.
Which aligns with the tradition of hospitality in the Order (not really such, as editor-monk Gervase Holdaway explains, for what Benedict founded was a moderate Rule for congregations forming their semi-autonomous and self-sufficient communities in the wake of Rome's collapse. The particular vows of stability, conversion of life, and obedience distinguish the Benedictine commitment to settle down in place, and this aspect filters through many of the themes. As posts on the net about this anthology have not provided in-depth information, I will highlight the themes I liked most.
Luke Dysinger notes (114) the Annunciation incorporates in iconography Mary holding a book, as if "pondering in her heart" the Word, dovetailing with the descent of the Spirit through lectio divina. How to expand this concept beyond devotional fare? He counsels: "does this {choice of text etc} encourage me to return to the Bible?" Susie Hayward emphasizes the importance of external silence to enable inner quiet. Commonsense, sure, but in our smartphone-distracted and instant text-driven society, all the more crucial in crazy decades since this 2008 book appeared. Holdaway in passing and Simon O'Donnell (142-44) separately elaborate well on how the role of the cellarer in the Rule may guide laypeople, as it has a "mature monastic," towards "careful custody" of material goods, and in "keeping watch" over "bonas animas," {good memories} to drive out bad by attentive contemplation and careful action. The abbot is like a curator of a museum, not owning the works, but acting to protect and sustain their upkeep for a wider audience, as this culture intrigues many.
Nicholas Buxton, who appeared on the BBC series "The Monastery," provides sensible reflection on stability; Simon Jones shows Opus Dei as the "work of God" which is the Liturgy of the Hours; Jeanne Daurico expresses a perspective from an oblate (about half the entries are by monastics) amidst secular imperatives; the popular author Esther de Waal interprets (207-8) spiritual wisdom as to stewardship of staying "tied to the soil": given that oblates vow to associate with a nearby monastery. She reminds us that in stability we care for environment--which we too often tend to compartmentalize (or I'd add sentimentalize) in a Franciscan charism and Celtic Christian heritage.
The Dutch oblate Wil Derske has striven to broaden how oblates can apply the Rule to the pressures of management in the workplace, and he discusses that sphere and also that of his parish outreach. Tying his calling to marriage and family, Paul Kennedy raises a subject that contributor Kathleen Norris (whose article sums up what her books delve into if scattershot) has explored in "Acedia and Me" (reviewed by me): the scourge of "accidie," that "weariness of the daily grind and sensory deprivation" as in a nursing mom at all hours of the night (248). He diagnoses its danger in "De Waal's modern interpretation of Augustine's phrase 'Behold you were within me and I was not at home.'" (248-9; quoting her "Life-Giving Way" pp. 173-5). He cautions how the oblate "should have the resources to be contentedly at home, both physically and spiritually." I found this very apt.
I'd conclude that inevitably it's a hit-and-miss assortment. I found certain authors (not named above) content to recite pieties however framed in contemporary progressive jargon, and there's a need remaining that the table of contents doesn't include for a "how-to" overview of what the oblate application and novitiate formation may mean in practical terms. Still, I imagine for those already inducted, or those wondering about the Oblate mindset, the bibliography may help, although many of the titles are by small presses, many likely out of print by now, and not shelved widely. Others in this nicely bound volume look at Psalms, impressions of a few Oblates, the history and background of the movement, liturgy, cyberspace, singledom, death, ecumenism, friendships, possessions, retirement, sickness and health, and prayer. Appendices discuss the Medal of St Benedict, monasteries with oblate programs, suggested reading, and a glossary of terms. No index.
Which aligns with the tradition of hospitality in the Order (not really such, as editor-monk Gervase Holdaway explains, for what Benedict founded was a moderate Rule for congregations forming their semi-autonomous and self-sufficient communities in the wake of Rome's collapse. The particular vows of stability, conversion of life, and obedience distinguish the Benedictine commitment to settle down in place, and this aspect filters through many of the themes. As posts on the net about this anthology have not provided in-depth information, I will highlight the themes I liked most.
Luke Dysinger notes (114) the Annunciation incorporates in iconography Mary holding a book, as if "pondering in her heart" the Word, dovetailing with the descent of the Spirit through lectio divina. How to expand this concept beyond devotional fare? He counsels: "does this {choice of text etc} encourage me to return to the Bible?" Susie Hayward emphasizes the importance of external silence to enable inner quiet. Commonsense, sure, but in our smartphone-distracted and instant text-driven society, all the more crucial in crazy decades since this 2008 book appeared. Holdaway in passing and Simon O'Donnell (142-44) separately elaborate well on how the role of the cellarer in the Rule may guide laypeople, as it has a "mature monastic," towards "careful custody" of material goods, and in "keeping watch" over "bonas animas," {good memories} to drive out bad by attentive contemplation and careful action. The abbot is like a curator of a museum, not owning the works, but acting to protect and sustain their upkeep for a wider audience, as this culture intrigues many.
Nicholas Buxton, who appeared on the BBC series "The Monastery," provides sensible reflection on stability; Simon Jones shows Opus Dei as the "work of God" which is the Liturgy of the Hours; Jeanne Daurico expresses a perspective from an oblate (about half the entries are by monastics) amidst secular imperatives; the popular author Esther de Waal interprets (207-8) spiritual wisdom as to stewardship of staying "tied to the soil": given that oblates vow to associate with a nearby monastery. She reminds us that in stability we care for environment--which we too often tend to compartmentalize (or I'd add sentimentalize) in a Franciscan charism and Celtic Christian heritage.
The Dutch oblate Wil Derske has striven to broaden how oblates can apply the Rule to the pressures of management in the workplace, and he discusses that sphere and also that of his parish outreach. Tying his calling to marriage and family, Paul Kennedy raises a subject that contributor Kathleen Norris (whose article sums up what her books delve into if scattershot) has explored in "Acedia and Me" (reviewed by me): the scourge of "accidie," that "weariness of the daily grind and sensory deprivation" as in a nursing mom at all hours of the night (248). He diagnoses its danger in "De Waal's modern interpretation of Augustine's phrase 'Behold you were within me and I was not at home.'" (248-9; quoting her "Life-Giving Way" pp. 173-5). He cautions how the oblate "should have the resources to be contentedly at home, both physically and spiritually." I found this very apt.
I'd conclude that inevitably it's a hit-and-miss assortment. I found certain authors (not named above) content to recite pieties however framed in contemporary progressive jargon, and there's a need remaining that the table of contents doesn't include for a "how-to" overview of what the oblate application and novitiate formation may mean in practical terms. Still, I imagine for those already inducted, or those wondering about the Oblate mindset, the bibliography may help, although many of the titles are by small presses, many likely out of print by now, and not shelved widely. Others in this nicely bound volume look at Psalms, impressions of a few Oblates, the history and background of the movement, liturgy, cyberspace, singledom, death, ecumenism, friendships, possessions, retirement, sickness and health, and prayer. Appendices discuss the Medal of St Benedict, monasteries with oblate programs, suggested reading, and a glossary of terms. No index.
May 21, 2026
As a prospective oblate, currently in a period of discernment, I found this hugely helpful. The scope of areas covered and the variety of voices and perspectives makes this book both informative and reassuring. I will certainly keep coming back to this.
July 22, 2023
A great read!
May 15, 2025
Great primer for Oblates.
January 1, 2014
While this is a recommended read for Benedictine oblates, be forewarned that it is a "dense" read. Some of the chapters will probably not apply to you at all if you are not a monastic, but the book is very thorough and can help you in the discernment process. It also makes an excellent reference.
March 1, 2015
This was required reading for the St. Mary's Convent Oblate Formation program. It has an ecumenical authorship centered around living the Rule of St. Benedict as a lay person. Most of the chapters were excellent and relevant to me.
April 18, 2013
Not recommended due to issues with cultural relativism and non-orthodoxy.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews