Customer Reviews

The Way of Simplicity: The Cistercian Tradition (Traditions of Christian Spirituality)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book forms part of a series on the exploration of Christian traditions. It served my purposes beautifully since I was curious at probing the development and the differences between the various RC orders. Esther De Waal is quite an expert on the Cistercian tradition, being an erudite Merton scholar. In this book, she writes an easy to read synopsis of the Cistercian Order and what makes it unique. I find the book informative and invitng to read. It also introdued me to some greats such as St. Bernard and Aelred. An excellent addition to a religious library.

Ester de Waal established her reputation as a sympathetic observer of the Benedictine tradition. Although a scholar, she writes not as a scholar of Benedictine history and spirituality, but as to popularize this ancient tradition.
The Way of Simplicity focuses on the Cistercian Tradition. The Cistercians trace their roots to Benedict of Nursia, being a reform movement that rose in the 11th century with the idea of establishing a reformed Benedictine Order. As a reformed movemment within the broader Benedictine Tradition, they played a major role in extending Christian Monasteries in remote regions of western Europe. In the process they produced a vast corpus of spiritual writings that have had a profound influence on many Christians.
de Waal provides a brief introduction to this fascinating order. Along the way she introduces us to both early Cistercians such as Bernard of Clarvaux and Aelred to modern day Cistercians like Thomas Merton and Basil Pennington. Most importantly, she discusses the factor that makes Cistercians distinct from mainstream Benedictines -- the absolute insistence on simplicity of life.
I have enjoyed de Waals writings on Benedictines for years, but I found this one to probably be the best of her writings. As deeply immersed as she has been in Benedictine Spirituality, one gets the feeling that she herself is profoundly moved by the distinctive emphasis of the Cistercians.
Personally I would recommend that one read Seeking God: the Way of St Benedict first if one wants to get the most out of this book, but I will also emphasize that this book stands on its own. I highly recommend the Way of Simplicity to anyone who wants to explore monastic spirituality and especially Cistercian spirituality