Man of Blessing: A Life of St. Benedict [Hardcover]

Carmen Acevedo Butcher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2006

Set against the bloody backdrop that was Italy in mid-first-millennium, Benedict's life charts a course far different from the violent struggles of his day. In a time of war and want, this monk and abbot aimed to establish and nurture community, cultivate the wilderness, and feed the poor. He also left us his famous Rule, seventy-three short chapters that are the foundation for Western monasticism and remain a spiritual classic. Man of Blessing answers these questions:
- Why did Pope Benedict XVI choose the name "Benedict"? 
- What other popes have been named Benedict? 
- What were the important events in the life of St. Benedict? 
- What are St. Benedict's lasting legacies? 
- What is in St. Benedict's Rule? (A brief chapter-by-chapter summary of St. Benedict's Rule is presented.)

Praise for Man of Blessing

“The difference with Butcher’s book… is the exploration of Benedict’s unusual life; his relationship with his twin sister, Scholastica; and the illumination of the saint’s miracles. The book’s readability will make it easy for patrons to escape into late Roman Culture and find peace in monastic simplicity.” -Library Journal starred review

“This remarkable book is a delightful blend of legend and solid history.” –Sr. Lenora Black OSB, Spirit & Life

“Throughout the book [Butcher]…interweaves some good research that expands the context of Benedict’s world and adds dimension to his character.” -American Benedictine Review

“Butcher’s life of St. Benedict is an excellent example of modern hagiography, written with imagination in a contemporary style based on historical facts and tradition.” -Catholic Library World

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This biography comes at a time of renewed interest in the saint known as the "patriarch of western monasticism" thanks to the current Roman Catholic leader's choice of Benedict as his papal name. Butcher, a scholar of ancient and medieval Christianity, interlaces what little is known of Benedict with research about the times in which he lived, drawing heavily on the second volume of Pope Gregory the Great's four-book Dialogues. Written in A.D. 593, Gregory's narrative is considered the only ancient account of the saint who sacrificed wealth and status to seek a life that would be pleasing to God. For three years, Benedict lived as a hermit in a cave before founding a string of monasteries in Italy, including the famous Monte Cassino. To her scholarly writings, Butcher adds some imaginative dialogue that might have occurred between Benedict and others. These retellings imitate the style of Gregory in his Dialogue, but also serve to make Man of Blessing more readable. Butcher concludes with helpful appendixes summarizing Benedict's brief monastic Rule and introducing the popes who have chosen his name through history. The author's observation that Benedict's story has something to say to those living in our present age of instability could generate interest in this book among Christian readers, especially those drawn to monasticism. (Mar.)
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 180 pages
• Publisher: Paraclete Pr (March 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557254850
• ISBN-13: 978-1557254856
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,014,545 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Carmen Acevedo Butcher received the 46th Georgia Author of the Year award for The Cloud of Unknowing with the Book of Privy Counsel. She was Carnegie Professor of the Year for Georgia and recipient of the President's Award for Excellence in Teaching and Scholarship. As a Fulbright Senior Lecturer, she taught graduate and undergraduate students for a year at Sogang University in Seoul, South Korea. She studied medieval literature at The University of Georgia with Dr. John Algeo. Dr. Butcher also studied at The University of London on a Fulbright grant and at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg on a Rotary International Graduate Scholarship. She has published numerous books and articles in medieval studies and linguistics with Cambridge University Press, Mercer University Press, Cengage Learning / Wadsworth, Paraclete Press, Shambala Publications, and others. She is a professor of English and Scholar-in-Residence at Shorter University and is frequently asked to speak at universities, colleges, and community venues and leads retreats on Bible study and prayer. She writes regularly for Christianity Today and has served as a commentator for Georgia Public Broadcasting (97.7 FM). She is also a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Her husband, Sean, and she met in London during the first Fulbright grant. Her website is www.carmenbutcher.com.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learn why Pope Benedict XVI chose the name "Benedict"!, February 15, 2006

By 

Richard Presley "Richard" (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Man of Blessing: A Life of St. Benedict (Hardcover)

In twenty-eight riveting chapters, medieval scholar Carmen Butcher makes this sixth-century Christian come alive. Her sinewy writing and animated dialogue take us back in time to the beautiful Umbrian landscape and the violent wars of Benedict's day. We relive the moment when the proud Ostrogothic King Totila comes face-to-face with this humble saint, and we see how the king's life is changed forever. We also encounter lessons of trust and spiritual growth as Abbot Benedict turns to God in times of drought and conflict. Butcher makes this old story twenty-first-century relevant in her dynamic re-telling. Bonus features include a map of Benedict's Italy, a chapter-by-chapter summary of Benedict's "Rule," and a list of former popes with the name "Benedict." Butcher also tells us the meaning of the name "Benedict" and why the current pope chose this name. This hardback is beautiful and definitely worth reading. A sampling from the last chapter is below:

One summer, many years later, a deeply troubled woman found

herself wandering day and night, up and down and through the

mountains and valleys and forests and fields near Benedict's

cave in Subiaco. Like a strayed lamb, she was completely

confused. Nothing was familiar. All of her life's usual

emotional and physical signposts had vanished and, because

of this, her mind had totally lost its bearings. She could

no longer think logically. Once her best friend, analysis

had become her greatest weakness and biggest foe. . . . .She

had been wandering randomly, but she had not missed the

right way, for this unremarkable-looking cave was Benedict's

old home at Subiaco. Here the young hermit had spent three

long years praying alone with God and cultivating the garden

of his soul. This was where Benedict had learned about the

mysterious, unending nature of God's kind, agape love. But

this soul-sick woman did not know this. She did, however,

understand she could lie in this inviting space and escape

the summer heat and rains. She was also somehow drawn to its

emotional warmth. She entered its blessed walls and slept

there that night.

What happens next is proof of the wonderful healing of God!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely and inspiring, May 30, 2006

By 

Margaret Dybala "too many books, too little time" (Pearland, Texas United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man of Blessing: A Life of St. Benedict (Hardcover)

This lovely, charming book gives us the life of St. Benedict in the format used by ancient biographers to tell the life of a saint. Each chapter is a small story, an episode in his life, that has a lesson for us embedded into it. And like all ancient saint biographies, there is an air of "magical realism" in that whether or not the miracle actually happened as recorded doesn't really matter. A lesson is imparted to us that holds a higher truth. It is strange that this man, Benedict, who lived 1500 years ago can seem so contemporary in ways. His rule of life has certainly remained meaningful and is lived by many people today, both monastics and lay people. The author well describes Benedict's sense of spiritual and psychological balance, his kindness, and gifts as a spiritual father. I recommend this fine book to anyone who practices lectio, or just wants to learn more about Benedict.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Risings in the dark, April 1, 2006

By 

Suzanne Widmar (Berkeley, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Man of Blessing: A Life of St. Benedict (Hardcover)

"Benedict's life was a series of risings in the dark." This

is the opening sentence of the Introduction, and it sets the

stage for all the risings we will read about regarding this

amazing saint.

Carmen Acevedo Butcher has written a book that vividly portrays

a man born about 480 AD. whose life was about rising above many

different kinds of challenges in his world and whose RULE

was to become the foundation of Western monasticism as well

as a spiritual guide for believers.

About half-way through the book is the best lesson of

Benedict's rule: "There is always more to learn. We are all

always beginners. Kindness is never complete." (A summary

of Benedict's RULE is in Appendix A.)

MAN OF BLESSING is full of information told in an engaging way. At the end of the book I felt I had spent time in the

presence of this saint--and that the time was well-spent.

Dr. Butcher's writing style is inviting and her expertise in the

Middle Ages makes MAN OF BLESSING an interesting and

informative read.