The Abbey Psalter: The Book of Psalms Used by the Trappist Monks of Genesse Abbey [Hardcover]

Genesee Eudes (Author), Eudes Bamberger (Author), John Abbot (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1981

The Grail edition of the Psalms, hand-lettered by Trappist monks and set for personal chanting or choir singing.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press; First of This Edition edition (September 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809103168
• ISBN-13: 978-0809103164
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 8.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #179,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Spirituality > Prayerbooks

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Psalms Revisited, March 1, 2000

By 

openbook - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Abbey Psalter: The Book of Psalms Used by the Trappist Monks of Genesse Abbey (Hardcover)

THE ABBEY PSALTER is a large attractive burgundy cloth hard cover book with stylized gilded lettering on the front cover. It reads: The Abbey Psalter. I like it for two reasons. The first is the beautiful, large easy-to-read print and also its fresh translation. Both lend themselves to "praying the psalms." I find it to be "a text ... artfully copied out by hand ... as to suggest something of a personal character that suits the meditative recital of the psalms, and something too of the peace and silence that monks seek to bring to their common prayer" (Foreward). Each of the 150 psalms begins with a larger red letter; there are no verse numbers to interrupt worship, merely diamond-style bullets. In addition to the psalms, the book includes: The Song of Zechariah, The Song of Mary, The Song of Simeon, and Revelation 15, which ends with, "All nations will come and worship you/ for your judgments have been revealed." The second reason I enjoy this book is because of the short but informative Foreward by John Eudes Bamberger, Abbot of the Genesee. He begins: "The Psalter is the prayerbook of the people of God." Thereafter, he quickly and clearly traces the history of the use of the psalms in the Catholic tradition. Furthermore, the book contains, "A Note on Cistercian Art" to accompany nine black & white full page illustrations scattered throughout the text: "Their motifs fall into two categories: stylized flowers and vegetation, and geometric patterns and interlace." This is a beautful and touching book. (I think I just might buy another.)

49 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Psalter, January 24, 2001

By 

A. Hogan (Brooklyn, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Abbey Psalter: The Book of Psalms Used by the Trappist Monks of Genesse Abbey (Hardcover)

I first heard of this book in the late 70's,when another surger in the late Thomas Mertons books was underway. This Psalter is a copy of the one used by the trappists of Our Lady of the Genesee in Piffard, N.Y... I t is a BEAUTIFUL,lovely to look at and hold copy of each of the 150 psalms, lovingly written in large,clean calligraphy.The book itself is big,and meant to be read from a short distance[as the monks do in choir]. a wonderful gift for anyone who loves the psalms, or liturgical prayer. Very ,very well put together.The short,concise intorduction done by Abbot John Eudes Bamberger is superb.{Of related interest is THE GENESEE DIARY by Henri Nouwen, available at Amazon,in which he describes 8 months spent at the Abbey of Genesee}

43 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For lovers of the Psalms, July 29, 1998

By 

Mark Pritchard (San Francisco, CA USA) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Abbey Psalter: The Book of Psalms Used by the Trappist Monks of Genesse Abbey (Hardcover)

A large-format, hard cover Psalter, beautifully printed and bound. The text is entirely in caligraphy, and is printed large enough to be read from a few feet away -- as presumably the monks do as they stand and chant the Psalms, with the book on a stand in front of them. It is probably best used this way, and not held in the hands -- it can be held, but it is probably a little large and heavy to be held for long.

This book would make a nice gift for someone whose love of, and use of, the Psalter you would like to honor.