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26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Little Book That Leads Us Toward a Deep Spiritual Tradition We May Have Overlooked, April 6, 2008
This review is from: Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants (Paperback)
This is a little book. If you exclude things like the Foreword, the Afterword and Notes, it's only 99 pages. But it packs a spiritual wallop.
Evangelical theologian and educator Dennis Okholm offers this spiritual memoir of his pilgrimage into monastic culture in an era when a chorus of evangelical voices are crying out for changes in their branch of the church. Various evangelical writers are arguing: The movement's become stale. It's been hijacked by political operatives. It's turned Christianity into an easy-bake recipe for prosperity. And, where many of these writers wind up trying to take us is back into centuries-old Christian traditions that once were considered exclusively "Catholic." And, when evangelicals said that word in the past, they often sneered.
Don't mistake Okholm's book for one of those angry evangelical books trying to shake up the movement from its foundations, but not offering much of a pathway through the resulting rubble. No, this is a thoughtful, careful, mature memoir from a man who set out through back roads to visit his first monastery in the spring of 1987. He admits that, at the time, he suspected monastic life was a tired old "relic of the Middle Ages."
Instead, he wound up exploring this world for two decades, finding elements of Christianity that were missing in the version of the faith that had been handed down to him.
Kathleen Norris wrote the Foreword to Okholm's book and Norris fans will understand right away that this is a strong vote of confidence in Okholm's voice. He's coming to this particular conversation, in the form of this book, in the same season that Tony Campolo and Mary Albert Darling - also evangelical scholars - are offering us, "The God of Intimacy and Action: Reconnecting Ancient Spiritual Practices, Evangelism and Justice."
Don't pick up this book thinking you'll grab a few tips for a richer life of prayer. There are deeper implications to this pilgrimage, Okholm argues. At one point, he writes to those of us with roots in the evangelical world, "We have become consumers of religion rather than cultivators of a spiritual life; we have spawned an entire industry of Christian kitsch and bookstores full of spiritual junk food that leaves us sated and flabby. As if we believed the infomercial that promises great abs if we just buy the right piece of equipment for $39.95, we think that the secret to being a spiritually fit Christian can be had by finding some secret technique or buying the most recent hot-selling inspirational devotional."
This is dangerous spiritual territory. This is a truly prophetic voice guiding us inward.
And, if you like where Okholm takes you, then you'll want to read "God of Intimacy and Action." If you like that voice, then you'll want to hear more from Norris and her "Cloister Walk," as well.
This isn't a stray drop of rain. It's a refreshing spiritual shower of compelling insights.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
St. Benedict for Protestant Lay and Leaders, February 7, 2009
This review is from: Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants (Paperback)
This concise, dense, thoughtful book provides a good introduction to Benedictine spirituality for those of us raised on the prejudices of the Reformation. If you are a fan of the recent books on Christian community by writers like Shane Claiborne or Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, but you've been frustrated trying to actually make such a community, this book might set you on the right path.
Unlike many recent books on the New Monasticism, which are full of exhortations but little practical advice, Dennis Okholm mixes spirituality with insight into how communities are built and how they thrive. Utilizing Benedictine principles that have held houses together for centuries, like obedience, stability, and humility, he posits how Christians can grow together in service to the Lord and the world.
But Okholm's directives are not limited to monastic communities. He suggests how Benedictine spirituality can overcome the star-power trend he sees in many Protestant churches. He suggests that if more pastors held obedience, balance, and listening at the heart of their ministries, the dissent that strikes many congregations could be kept at bay, and the Gospel of Christ better served in our mission fields.
This book is slim, and can be read in a single night. But it's rich in content that can be used for prayer, study, group discussion, and private meditation. It also contains a long, detailed list of further reading, a checklist of ways to live the Benedictine life in the lay world, and a helpful afterword to reconcile stringent Protestant theology with Benedictine vows.
Accessible for both lay readers and seminarians. Laced with helpful examples of how Christ's word is lived in the world. I recommend this book for all who hope to grow as members of the Body of Christ.
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16 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
fresh, thoughtful, nourishing, January 19, 2008
This review is from: Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants (Paperback)
It's rare to find find a book that does so many things so well. It is interesting, personal, and engaging. It is thoughtful and well-written. And it is full to the brim with spiritual insights. Read a bit each day, sip it alongside your morning cup of coffee, savor each insight, and you'll find your life just gets better and better. A delight.
Diana Glyer is the author of The Company They Keep: C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien as Writers in Community
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