Consider the Ravens: On Contemporary Hermit Life [Paperback]

Karen Fredette (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 22, 2008

Praise for Consider the Ravens Timely, definitive, and universal, Consider the Ravens is a treasure! Reflecting the richness, compassion, and inner peace birthed in solitude, silence, and simplicity, it invites one and all to 'taste and see', to 'be still and know,' and perhaps, to recognize one's own hidden hermit. Highly recommended for hermits and 'wannabe's' alike.Nan C. Merrill, author of Psalms for Praying and Journey into Love, editor of the popular newsletter, Friends of Silence.This book is unique among contemporary eremitic literature because it has emerged from an ongoing dialogue over the years by committed hermits, distilled and creatively organized by a couple who themselves live the life. Hermits will find this book helpful in exploring how they fit into the surprising diversity of this hidden 'movement'. The curious will be fascinated, for the authors have comprehensively intertwined the theoretical and the practical, the dangers and the allures, the misconceptions and the surprising richness, derived from surveys among the readers of 'Raven's Bread,' their quarterly newsletter for those of us practicing the eremitic life.W. Paul Jones, Priest, Trappist Family Brother, social activist, hermit; author of Teaching the Dead Bird to Sing, and The Art of Spiritual Direction.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Paul and Karen Fredette live on a secluded mountain slope northwest of Asheville, North Carolina, with their border collies, Neill and Cynda and their magical white cat, Merlin. They minister to hermits worldwide through their quarterly newsletter, Raven's Bread. Visit their Web site at www.ravensbreadministries.com for eremitical resources and guidance.

Product Details

• Paperback: 284 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (November 22, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595482945
• ISBN-13: 978-0595482948
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,355,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Practical guide to solitary Christian practice, May 7, 2009

By 

contemplative 1.0 (Charles City, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Consider the Ravens: On Contemporary Hermit Life (Paperback)

This book is too easily overlooked in a market glutted with self-help volumes. It's about hermits, for heaven's sake. What good are they? one might ask. We can safely assume it is not about self help. It is, in fact, about self-abandonment -- the spiritual path of emptiness.

Have you ever been tempted to ask "If the gospel and religion so good why do I feel so bad?" "How can I learn to live with just questions and learn to take responsibility for my life?"

"Retail" religion no longer serves great numbers of people seeking a deeper, personal experience of the Divine. The contemplative path is appearing, especially to those of mature years, inviting a first step or two toward releasing the soul's wandering joy. Church busy-ness must be set aside in favor of responding to a mysterious yearning, to time alone, to a call from within to rest from conventional labors.

The authors have "black belts" in solitude, reflection, prayer and what it means to heal the world by abiding attentively in the heart of it all. This is not another counterfeit movement. I don't ever expect to see them peddling their wares on "Oprah."

As a teacher in a university, I buy and read a lot of books. Most are academic, fill with more facts and figures to impress colleagues. This is my first Amazon review ever because this book is really different, contemporary and practical. If solitude is summoning you, get this book. Tolkien nailed it when he said, "All who wonder are not lost."

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A field guide to modern hermit vocations, January 19, 2009

By 

R H Wenner - See all my reviews

This review is from: Consider the Ravens: On Contemporary Hermit Life (Paperback)

There is a dearth of contemporary literature on the lived lifestyles of hermits, both canonical (Canon 603) and non-canonical [="official and unofficial"]. Catholic vocations directors approached by those wanting information or discerning eremitical vocations are sometimes caught flat-footed: having little or no notion of how the rule, vows and spirituality of a hermit work "in real life".

"Consider the Ravens", by Paul A. Fredette and Karen Karper Fredette, (the editors of the English-language international quarterly newsletter for hermits, "Raven's Bread" ) gives a realistic look at various forms modern eremitical life can take, with emphasis on Catholic hermits in the United States--both religious and lay, rural and urban, canonical and non-canonical. It gives valuable insights--obtained by survey-- on the psychology, formation, spirituality, and challenges of those who live the contemplative vocation as "a religious order of one."

"Consider the Ravens" is recommended not only for those discerning a vocation as a hermit, but also for diocesian vocations offices around the country. It would also be a valuable addition to Seminary libraries, as a resource for spiritual directors who may have the responsibility of being a Bishop's delegated superior for a canonical hermit.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of contemporary hermit life, August 6, 2010

By 

R. Rosauer "ruthrose53" (Wisconsin, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Consider the Ravens: On Contemporary Hermit Life (Paperback)

The author of this book is in a unique position to write about this topic. She has lived as a hermit and is now editor of a quarterly newsletter for hermits. She distributed a questionnaire to readers of the newsletter and shares the results of those responses throughout the book. This way readers obtain not only her specific experience with this lifestyle but also what this choice has been like for others.