The Rule of St. Benedict (An Image Book Original) [Paperback]

Benedict of Nursia (Author), Anthony C. Meisel (Translator), M. L. del Mastro (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1975

Since the 6th century, this has been one of the most influential documents of Western thought and civilization. Full of plain wisdom, the words of St. Benedict are a guide for work, prayer, study, and community life.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English, Latin (translation)

From the Publisher

Since the 6th century, this has been one of the most influential documents of Western thought and civilization. Full of plain wisdom, the words of St. Benedict are a guide for work, prayer, study, and community life.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday/Image Books (September 1, 1975)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385009488
• ISBN-13: 978-0385009485
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.3 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #39,610 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Clergy > Church Institutions & Organizations
  • #4 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Monasticism
  • #8 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Church History > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting look into the rules of monkhood!, February 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Rule of St. Benedict (An Image Book Original) (Paperback)

Benedict, having dropped out of university because he viewed the life there as degenerated, goes into the bush and makes his abode in a crack in the side of a mountain. Upon coming out he writes the moral code for the next 1,400 years! This is that code or set of rules.

Some of the book is dry - namely the end of it which goes over seating arangements for meals and other architectural details but the historical end of it is interesting and so are his guidelines for clean living in a monastic setting (which one can employ almost anywhere with the right focus).

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Listen!, June 10, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rule of St. Benedict (An Image Book Original) (Paperback)

The Rule of St. Benedict is in and of itself a fairly short book, fewer than 100 pages. It is a good example of the statement, 'good things come in small packages'. This volume, translated and with an introduction by Anthony Meisel and M.L. del Mastro, presents an historical context as well as their own translation of the Latin text of the Rule. The thirty-page introduction discusses the biography of St. Benedict, the formation of the rule, and the way it has been passed down through the ages in monastic community.

Benedict was fully aware of human frailty, as true 1500 years ago as it is today. This frailty requires much to be done to give the person strength, and so Benedict's Rule is designed for an ever-increasing self-discipline which is supported by community worship and practice.

Benedict's Rule for life includes worship, work, study, prayer, and relaxation. Benedict's Rule requires community -- even for those who become hermits or solitaries, there is a link to the community through worship and through the Rule. No one is alone. This is an important part of the relationship of God to the world, so it is an integral part of the Rule.

Benedict's Rule was set out first in a world that was torn with warfare, economic and political upheaval, and a generally harsh physical environment. This Rule was set out to bring order to a general chaos in which people lived. This is still true today, and men and women all over the world use Benedict's 'little rule for beginners' as a basic structure for their lives.

The first word of the rule is Listen. This is perhaps the best advice for anyone looking for any guidance or rule of life. While Benedict's Rule is decidedly Christocentric and hierarchical (though not as hierarchical as much popular ideas about monastic practice would have one think), it nonetheless can give value to any reader who is looking to construct a practice for oneself.

Benedict's establishment of a monastery was in fact the establishment of a school for spirituality. In his prologue to the Rule, Benedict even states this as his intention. 'In drawing up its regulations, we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome.' He sets forth in this brief rule a guide to individual life within community that will bring one ever closer to the divine.

Benedict explores the issues of charity, personality, integrity, and spirituality in all of his rules. From the clothing to the prayer cycle to the reception of guests, all have a purpose that fits into a larger whole, and all have positive charges and negative warnings. Benedict is especially mindful of the sin of pride, be it pride of possession, pride of person, pride of place -- he strives for equality in the community (as a recognition that all are equal before God).

Hundreds of thousands of pages have been written over the last millenium and a half on the Rule of St. Benedict, but it all comes down to this brief collection, which can be read easily in an hour, yet takes a lifetime (or perhaps more!) to master.

Open it for yourself to see what riches it may hold for you.

This particular text ends with a good list of selected readings, a bit lacking for the latest of publications, but with 1500 years worth of texts from which to choose, there are plenty of selections worthwhile. There is also a composite plan of a medieval monastery -- this is not a master plan; indeed, all monasteries vary from each other in certain aspects, so this is a general idea.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting as an historical document, July 17, 2001

By 

R. J. Marsella (California) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Rule of St. Benedict (An Image Book Original) (Paperback)

While the historical context that is so lucidly described in the introduction to this translation is fascinating in itself, the rule resonates with a disciplined approach to spiritual development in a communal setting. Placed in an appropriate historical context the "rule" is remarkable for its attention to physical and spiritual detail in the structured life of a monastery. Anyone interested in monasticsm or church history will be well rewarded by reading this.