Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light [Hardcover]

Joan Chittister (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2000

From Abandonment to Zeal, this alphabet of monastic values will help you to experience peace and love in the midst of life's pressures and problems.

--This text refers to the Kindle Edition edition.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Joan Chittister sheds light on what we need to know to "be in the world but not of the world." She eschews the quick fix and offers instead a solid spiritual direction that has stood the test of time.

About the Author

Joan Chittister, OSB, is founder and Executive Director of BENEVISION: A Resource Center for Contemporary Spirituality. Her many bestselling books include The Gift of Years, The Ten Commandments, A Passion for Life, and There Is a Season. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 143 pages
• Publisher: Orbis Books (March 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1570752338
• ISBN-13: 978-1570752339
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #829,949 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Joan Chittister, OSB (1936- ) is a Benedictine Sister of Erie, PA. She is the author of over 40 books--ten of which have won Catholic Press Association Awards (the latest 2011: God's Tender Mercy). Her book, The Monastery of the Heart: an invitation to a meaningful life, is prelude to a movement for all seekers: Monasteries of the Heart, recently begun by her Benedictine community. Sister Joan is an international speaker who inspires both her audiences and readers with her passion for justice, for equality and for peace, especially for women in both society and the church. Her PhD is from Penn State University in Speech-Communication Theory. She serves as Executive Director of Benetvision, a research and resource center for contemporary spirituality.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 84 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Illuminated and Illuminating, May 10, 2000

By 

John T. Farrell (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light (Hardcover)

Sister Joan Chittister's Illuminated Life is a summons, a summons to life. Life is not an exercise to be endured, the author tells us, but a mystery to be unfolded. Life comes from the living of it. The attitudes and insights of our lives are based on our pursuit of the presence of God, often in the most ungodly of times and situations.

The purpose of Illuminated Life is to teach us to be contemplative in the midst of chaos. To facilitate this, Chittister divides her book into a series of alphabetized meditations on spiritual qualities ranging from "Awareness" to "Zeal." Each meditation begins with a story from one of the early Christian Desert Mystics and follows with an essay that moves the reader from principle to praxis.

The stories are delightful and show both depth of scholarship and sensitivity. The essays, designed for reading in one sitting, are insightful and wise. My favorite is on "Growth." Beginning with a story about Abba Mios, it segues into a discussion of life as a never ending process of growth and change, whether we like it or not. According to Chittister, growth is based on choice. Every day of our lives we grow a little more into God or a little more into self. After reading Sr. Joan, it would take a truly hardened heart not to grow into God.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful little book of meditations, July 15, 2003

By 

Meadow "~M~" (Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light (Hardcover)

I admit it, I am a fan of Joan Chittister. And I am a fan of my autographed copy of this book. It's on my night table right now, and I am in the midst of my 3rd read-through. Now that I've explained my own prejudices...

If one is looking for an in depth analysis of Benedictine spirituality (as some other reviewers seem to be) then this is not the book. However, there is value here. The book has 26 entries, an A-Z of monastic values, each a small perfect jewel in itself. One can pick up this book and spend just a few minutes reading in one area, then put the book down until the next time. If the next time is months later, nothing is lost in the interim. Each little essay can stand on its own. You don't need to read the whole book, all at once, and in linear progression. Pick one value, read the essay, meditate upon it, comtemplate it. A form of lectio is you will. Contemplate it for 5 minutes, 5 days or 5 months. Then move on to another. Jump around. Skip some. Stay with your top 5 favorites or do them all, one per 2 week period, and get through the book in a year.

The beauty of this format is that it is so easily accessible, accessible to ANY spiritual seeker. Joan Chittister's writing is eminently practical and down to earth. No scholarly analysis or 25 cent words to trip over. No esoteric concepts. This may be the plain bread and cheese at a table of gourmet delicacies... but sometimes you just want a grilled cheese sandwich.

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a must for spiritual seekers, May 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Illuminated Life: Monastic Wisdom for Seekers of Light (Hardcover)

I don't believe that the reviews here do justice to this profound work. I have read many books on the spiritual search and this is one of the best. I have lately been struggling with what prayer means and her chapter on prayer is the best I've ever read. It is a refreshing antidote to the books that say prayer, and God, for that matter, are a means to personal power and things going your way. Joan Chittister is a wise woman, steeped in years of the contemplative tradition, and in this book she shares the fruits of her wisdom. She illuminates all of us.