Cherish Christ Above All: The Bible in the Rule of Benedict [Paperback]

Demetrius Dumm (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1996

The Rule of Benedict, one of the most influential documents in Western civilization, has its roots planted deeply in the scriptures. As a result, the forms of monastic life and the spirituality it engendered among lay men and women grew out of a loving reading of the Bible. In this book Benedictine scholar Demetrius Dumm traces those roots and shows how the Judeo-Christian scriptures shine through the monastic way of life, its attitudes and forms of praying. He points out that the hospitality often associated with the Benedictines begins with the entertainment of God's presence by quiet, trusting prayer, and he shows that the practice of Christian discipline is intended more for exposing and eliminating illusions than imposing order. Readers of all backgrounds who honor the wealth of the Christian heritage will welcome this wise and stirring book.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This book will delight not only monastics but all seekers of truth. -- Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B., author of The Song of the Seed. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Demetrius Dumm, O.S.B., is professor of New Testament at Saint Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. He received his doctorate in theology at Sant' Anselmo in Rome. After two years of graduate studies at the Ecole Biblique in Jerusalem, he received the Licentiate in Sacred Scripture from the Pontifical Biblical Commission in Vatican City. He is also the author of Flowers in the Desert: A Spirituality of the Bible, and A Mystical Portrait of Jesus: New Perspectives on John's Gospel. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 163 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809136465
• ISBN-13: 978-0809136469
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #602,297 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ROOT OF THE RULE, May 22, 2000

By 

Carol Bonomo (San Diego, CA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cherish Christ Above All: The Bible in the Rule of Benedict (Paperback)

Father Demetrius Dunn writes a gentle, scholarly understanding of the Rule of St. Benedict through the prism of its Scriptural roots. Is Benedictine spirituality inherently biblical, or is the bible used merely as supporting text? he asks. Not surprisingly, he finds Benedictine spirituality's heart lies in Scripture. Father Dunn spins out his thesis in lovingly crafted discussions of trust, compassion, discipline, community prayer and private prayer--all centered around Christ.

When I heard Father Dunn preach a sermon on the gospel story of the feeding of 5,000 (Matt 15:29-37), he stressed that most of us are not called to martyrdom or greatness, but to be a little "better". This message is repeated throughout Cherist Christ, findings its home in the Rule and Scripture. "Embracing one's real life in honesty and humility is a pre-condition for the faith that gives access to the saving events of God in human history", he writes (page 13). And while I may wish his writing style was less erudite, his message and scholarship are worth the reader's effort.

5.0 out of 5 stars Cherish Christ Above All, March 23, 2010

By 

Alice E. Fagan "A E Fagan" (Bartlesville, OK United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Cherish Christ Above All: The Bible in the Rule of Benedict (Paperback)

Arrived in perfect shape, timely.
Of several like books purchased recently, the descriptions by this author make it a gold mine to my mind!