Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love [Hardcover]

Lonni Collins Pratt (Author), Daniel Homan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2002

In an age of terror, it is difficult to look into the eyes of a stranger without cringing. We carefully peruse our fellow passengers before we board a plane. We bolt our doors and feel safest when we are with our close friends and family. It may seem natural, given the devastating recent attacks on our country, but isn't there a better way to live?

From the authors who delighted thousands of readers with Benedict's Way: An Ancient Monk's Insights for a Balanced Life comes a new book with a bold challenge: Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love. In this book, Lonni Collins Pratt, a Catholic laywoman, and Daniel Homan, a Benedictine monk, blend their unique voices to present a radical vision for a kinder world.

According to Pratt and Homan, Benedictine hospitality is not cozy and comforting, but risky and world-rattling. It is not about "sipping tea and making bland talk with people who live next door or work with you," but it is about mutual reverence--"a call to revere what is sacred in every person ever born."

For people of all faiths and walks of life who seek to live with compassion and generosity, Radical Hospitality provides an essential introduction to the timeless wisdom contained in Benedictine spirituality. It will appeal to the general reader as well as to the serious spiritual seeker as a guide for personal study, retreat, or group discussion.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ." So says the famous Rule of St. Benedict, written more than 1,500 years ago and still the operative standard for all Benedictine monasteries. This simple guide shows readers that hospitality is not reserved for the monastery only, but is an ideal for all Christians who wish to connect closely with one another. Homan, a Benedictine monk in Oxford, Mich., draws stories from monastery life, while Pratt, a freelance writer and retreat leader, transposes them nicely for the reader. They discuss some of the challenges of hospitality: guests sometimes have different values than their hosts; they can intrude upon the routines of daily life; they require intimate companionship when hosts might rather be alone. There is an element of surrender to true hospitality, of opening the heart to strangers as well as friends. "Forget about turned-down sheets, mints on the pillow and towel-warmers," say the authors. "Monastic hospitality creates sacred space where the guest is free to be alone, to enter silence, to pray and rest." At the heart of monastic hospitality is the discipline of listening, of allowing a guest to feel safe and loved. The book is more descriptive than prescriptive; it is not a how-to guide listing 10 steps to cultivate "deep listening" or the seven secrets of the well-laid table. It is instead a heartfelt sharing of stories, a welcome mat to enter into the spiritual discipline of hospitality.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

. . . inspiring guide to developing an essential spiritual trait. This is no fluff piece. . . -- Susan Dunman, CBA Marketplace, September 2002

. . .outlines the spiritual principles of hospitality at the core of the monastic, Benedictine way of life. -- Allison Askins, The State

Radical Hospitality is not something people do, but rather something people become. -- Todd Weddle, St. Joseph News-Press

. . .the authors explore the spiritual and human connotations of the act of welcoming others. -- Body and Soul, November/December 2002

Benedict's vision of hospitality was so deep and beautiful. -- The Oakland Press, October 16, 2002

Comforting and challenging, their book takes us deep within the heart of Benedictine spirituality. -- Religion News Service, October 2002

Offers a remedy to fear and suspicion. -- Interpreter, November/December 2002

Offers indispensable wisdom, thoughtful reflection and practical steps. -- Abbey Blessings, Fall 2002

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Paraclete Press (MA) (September 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557253099
• ISBN-13: 978-1557253095
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 5.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #157,719 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hospitality Begins At Home, February 6, 2003

By 

David G. Robinson "David Robinson" (Cannon Beach, Oregon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love (Hardcover)

What a delight to read "Radical Hospitality", written by a monk and a mom. Both worlds, that of the monastery and the family home, are primary places of hospitality. Lonni & Daniel weave their lives, stories and faith together into a durable and beautiful welcome rug, inviting all who dare step this way into a life of "radical hospitality". The title word "radical" may turn some away from this book due to connotations of rebellion and anarchy. Don't let it. "Radical" simply means "having to do with the root, the radix". Benedictine hospitality is truly radical, returning us to our roots, our true heart home in God the God who welcomes us as we are, where we are, who we are. Hospitality begins at home with God, and at home where we live, eat, sleep and love on a daily basis with others. Radical hospitality is the true balm to heal the wounds of nations, and bring peace. But will we live this way? For another book that explores Benedictine hospitality in the home, look into THE BUSY FAMILY'S GUIDE TO SPIRITUALITY (Crossroad, 2009). The Busy Family's Guide to Spirituality: Practical Lessons for Modern Living From the Monastic Tradition

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A kinder world, October 6, 2002

By 

Rev. Joe (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love (Hardcover)

There's a danger in thinking this book is about being nice or anxious to entertain guests. There is no normal sense of the word hospitality by which one can identify the message of Radical Hospitality. It is clear-headed, wildly fun to read with unexpected sorts of stories about real people. Personally, I mistrust rave reviews. Can any book be so worthwhile that it merits no criticism? I found nothing to dislike in this vision of a kinder world. A monk who writes with a pretty woman can't be all bad.

20 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The phrase is everywhere, December 5, 2004

By 

Literary Bug (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Radical Hospitality: Benedict's Way of Love (Hardcover)

I picked up Radical Hospiality because of a sermon I heard in Boston awhile ago while visiting a friend from college. I did not catch the name of the author, authors as it turns out, but I was sure the minister, a woman, was quoting from a book. When I did a internet search it turned out that the phrase Radical Hospitality is used by religious and social groups from churches to conventions, all around the world. What I amazed by is that so few of the people, like the minister, name where they got their quotes or who they are quoting. This is a very fine book. It borders on brilliant actually and I am not the sort to use such a word casually. Why would anyone not want to give these authors the credit they deserve? The book, Radical Hospitality is challenging in a gentle way. I never once felt like the writers were shoving some agenda down my throat. There is just this level of telling their own experience and stories that any half-brain dead person could tell is from their hearts. Don't get me wrong. It is not a personal experience kind of book and it is not a book for anyone who like fluff instead of substance. But, if you are looking for a book about what has gone wrong in how we relate to one another, this is it. And if you love it too, be sure you tell people who you're quoting!