17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Saint Benedict's Rule, November 21, 2004
This review is from: Saint Benedict's Rule (Hardcover)
Saint Benedict's Rule, translated into contemporary English by Abbot Patrick Barry, OSB speaks eloquently to lay people of all denominations as well as to monks and nuns. Freed of scholarly notes, except for those absolutely necessary to clarify the text, and relevant scriptural references, this volume is unencumbered and very clear-perfect for reading aloud, for group study, or for private devotions.
This is a text that predates the divisions in the Church. It has the power to draw its readers, through the guidance and instruction of St. Benedict, nearer to the presence and radiance of Christ himself and to a clearer understanding of how to lead an ordered Christian life today. Abbot Barry's translation takes a text of great antiquity and brings it right here to us, now, as support and inspiration, encouraging us to bring all aspects of our lives into the presence, guidance, and protection of a loving God.
The new edition, offered here, is even more valuable than the first, since Abbot Barry has included a magnificent forty-page introduction where he explains the relevance of Saint Benedict's Rule to our lives today and clarifies the often misunderstood concepts of obedience, humility, and silence so essential not only to monastic life but also to the daily experience of all lay people on a spiritual path.
Katharine Le Mée, author of Chant and The Benedictine Gift to Music
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