Wisdom Distilled from the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today [Paperback]

Joan Chittister (Author)

Book Description

Release date: March 17, 2009

Wise and enduring spiritual guidelines for everyday living –– as relevant today as when The Rule was originally conceived by St. Benedict in fifth century Rome.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

An examination of how the Rule of St. Benedict is still a relevant model for contemporary spiritual growth and connecting with God, with others, and with the inner self.

About the Author

Joan Chittister is a member and former prioress of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie and currently the executive director of the Alliance for International Monasticism (AIM). She is the author of Psalm Journal, Winds of Change, and WomanStrength: Modern Church, Modern Women.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: HarperOne; Reprint edition (March 17, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060613998
• ISBN-13: 978-0060613990
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.6 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #60,976 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #52 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Ministry & Church Leadership > Church Institutions & Organizations
  • #56 in Books > Christian Books & Bibles > Catholicism > Saints

More About the Author

Joan Chittister, OSB (1936- ) is a Benedictine Sister of Erie, PA. She is the author of over 45 books--twelve of which have won Catholic Press Association Awards--two in 2012: Monastery of the Heart and Happiness. Her three books released in 2012 are: Following the Path from Random House and The Art of Life and Aspects of the Heart from Twenty-Third Publications . Her book, The Monastery of the Heart: an invitation to a meaningful life, is prelude to a movement for all seekers: Monasteries of the Heart, recently begun by her Benedictine community. Sister Joan is an international speaker who inspires both her audiences and readers with her passion for justice, for equality and for peace, especially for women in both society and the church. She is a regular web columnist for the National Catholic Reporter (ncronline.org) and Huffington Post (Huffingtonpost.com). Her PhD is from Penn State University in Speech-Communication Theory, her masters from the University of Notre Dame. She serves as Executive Director of Benetvision, a research and resource center for contemporary spirituality. (joanchittister.org)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Benedict Rules! December 30, 1998

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Joan Chittister has written a most beguiling and yet practical reflection on the ancient Rule of Benedict. This charming book, though nearly ten years old, is as fresh as the day it was written. "Wisdom Distilled from the Daily" is a timely and welcome guide for all who seek moments of grace and personal spiritual growth in and from their daily lives. Each of the fifteen short chapters is prefaced by a direct citation from the 1500 year old Rule of St. Benedict. Each begins with a description of some physical characteristic of the Mount St. Benedict Monastery in Erie, Pennsylvania, home of her religious community, to whom Chittister dedicates the book. The author uses each of these concrete realities from in daily life in her monastery as a root metaphor which she breaks open in flowing, nearly-musical prose to reveal the timeless wisdom of Benedict on such topics as Listening, Prayer, Work, Humility, and (my personal favorite) "Holy Leisure". But this is not a book about monasticism. St. Benedict was a layman. While his Rule has been adopted and used by monastic brothers and sisters of various religious orders since the sixth century, it was meant to be a spiritual guide for all -- particularly lay persons. More importantly, its purpose is to help us build our spirituality from the bricks and mortar of the lived experiences of our daily lives. The author reminds us that we can find sanctity in the world around us: "If we are not spiritual where we are and as we are, we are not spiritual at all". This book is a gem! It is an easy read. If you think highly enough of someone to want them to read it also, buy them a copy. Don't lend them yours. This one is a "keeper" you will want to refer to frequently.... In "Wisdom Distilled from the Daily", Joan Chittister has remade the timeless sixth century Rule of St. Bendict into a much-needed Rule of Living for the twenty-first century. Read more ›

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting and informative May 26, 2000

By Sophia VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

In "Wisdom Distilled from the Daily", Joan Chittister modernizes the Rule of Saint Benedict and applies it to modern living. Each chapter covers a different aspect of the Rule, including such topics as prayer, work, mindfulness, hospitality, peace, and listening.

Her stories from the desert sages are wonderful and extremely funny, and several of her insights are insightful and very helpful. I found the chapter on obedience in particular to be one of the most pithy, eloquent, and well-written summaries on such a loaded topic that I have ever encountered. One can tell that she is a clinical psychologist from that chapter!

The only criticisms I have are that the content is definitely dated: many of her specific images no longer apply, especially in world politics, her language is occasionally didactic and flat. "Prayer is not magic. Prayer is not..." and so on. Also, a minor linguistic point: she tends to start each chapter with an image, relate the image to the topic, discuss the topic, and then return to the image. This is fine for occasional use, but grates on repetition. Also, those not familiar with Christianity, especially with monastic communities might want to do some background reading first, as some of the images are quite specific. Overall, a very interesting discussion on how to apply the Rule of St. Benedict to today's world.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Day by day... June 5, 2003

By FrKurt Messick HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

`Daily life is the stuff of which high sanctity can be made.'

Near the beginning of Joan Chittister's wonderful treatment of the Rule of St. Benedict, she makes this statement, something that is agreed upon by most who are serious about the spiritual life. The old phrase 'little things mean a lot' is very true with regard to spirituality. After all, it is not the big crises that cause the most problems in life -- in fact, it is often a crisis that brings people together and deepens spiritual feeling and commitment. It is in the day-to-day struggle to maintain sanity and security that the spirit can be ignore most easily, unless paying attention to spiritual things is made intentional.

This is part of what Benedict was driving at so many centuries ago. Beyond the specific rules for his community, which are variously applicable and irrelevant toward living in today's world, is the overarching idea that some kind of rule, some kind of daily intentionality, some sort of deliberate pattern that puts us in community with each other and with the divine is very necessary for today's people.

`After years of monastic life I have discovered that unlike spiritual fads, which come and go with the teachers or cultures that spawned them, the Rule of Benedict looks at the world through interior eyes and lasts. Here, regardless of who we are or what we are, life and purpose meet.'

Spirituality of this sort is far more than ritual action. It is far more than churchiness or how often one does any particular thing, including prayer. This spirituality calls upon the individual to incorporate a way of life on top of daily life, a defining context of life that puts all things, prayer, church, family, work, play, study, sleep, indeed all parts of life, in connection and community with God....

There are interior practices and exterior reflections of these practices. Listening is described as the key virtue toward spiritual growth. Listening has to be more than a passive hearing of what is being said, but an active incorporation into life.

Prayer is a central practice, but care must be taken that this not become routine in the sense of being done mindlessly, by rote, but an active listening for the will of God should always be part of this. Also connected to prayer is the practice of lectio, a reading that inspires and feeds the soul, a reading that is different from academic study or informational and entertaining reading.

Chittister highlights many monastic practices and shows ways in which these can be incorporated into daily life for anyone. Monastic mindfulness -- the blending of the day together in harmony and balance -- can be a principle applied as easily outside the monastery as within the cloister. Certainly the ideas of obedience (to the will of God, if nothing else), stability (which means more than living in the same place), hospitality, humility, and community all are applicable beyond the monastery walls, and in many ways antithetical to prevailing Western cultural ideas. These have the potential of feeding the soul and enriching the lives of those who practice even without the support of a monastic community. Many have been surprised that their conversion of life, to use Benedictine language, can lead to subtle, and often not-so-subtle, changes in those around them.

The seeker asked, 'How does one seek union with God?'

The Wise One said, 'The harder you seek, the more distance you create between God and you.'

'So what does one do about the distance?' the seeker asked.

The elder replied simply, 'Just understand that it isn't there.'

The Rule of Benedict is not a mystical text. It is not a spiritual catalogue or occult-ic manual. It was intended, and continues to serve, as a simple guide to help make people more conscious of their already present relationship with God. It is realistic, and makes no promises of spiritual gifts accruing to those who follow it. Yet the riches that do become present can be very great to those open to receiving them. And in receiving these gifts, they become a gift themselves to the world.

Perhaps this is the meaning of the strange biblical dictum (which often seems unfair upon straight reading)

For to those who have, more will be given,
and they will have an abundance;
but from those who have nothing,
even what they have will be taken away.
- Matthew 13:12

This is a book that definitely fills a need for those seeking a more wholistic way of life. Read more ›

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Monkish Insights April 25, 2000

By joshua feldmeth

Format:Paperback

I. Synopsis

Chittister believes that the everyday life of every person contains wisdom, truth, beauty, potential, and perhaps even God. But it's not her idea, at least originally. The Rule of St. Benedict, penned by a humble 4th century monk, has for centuries served as the corner-stone text and instruction manual for the Benedictine religious order, and now reemerges as the basis of Chittester's "Wisdom."

In short, the Rule is a guide to Christian spirituality that at its roots emphasizes balance, community and a lifetime of personal conversion. It is simple in that it is for everyone, regardless of education and status. It is comprehensive in that it proposes a complete way of life. Finally, the Rule is realistic: it advances balance between work and leisure, promising only peace at the end of a life of trying yet not necessarily accomplishing.

Chittester's frames the highlights of the Rule in an effort to guide 20th century Christians in the ways of ancient monastics. She begins simply with the core skills of Benedictine living: listening, and prayer or lectio. Listening means living with ears attuned to the call of Christ (to Benedictines, this is represented in a Monastery bell), thus creating a spirituality sentient of the presence of God in our lives and also the presence of others. Prayer and lectio, the act of prayerful meditation on scripture, for the listening Christian then becomes the center of life. It is regular, universal, reflective, communal and converting (p. 29) thus cracking open the door and letting God enter daily life.... In both disciplines, Chittester begins the introduction of the reader to two fundamental yet often counterintuitive concepts of Benedictine spirituality 1) individual growth out of community investment and 2) the tension of change through pause (the opposite of what U2 might call "running to stand still").

From the here the discussion moves to the characteristics or virtues of Benedictine monasticism. These include humility, community, hospitality, wholeness, work, and holy leisure, and in each, Chittister suggests creative and often radically new definitions. Community is synonymous with love and personal development. Here love (i.e. the community) costs and it demands but without it, man is only half alive. She states profoundly, "Alone I am what I am, but in community, I am what I can become (p. 49)." Humility is a lost and misunderstood virtue. Contrary to common definition, the Rule says humility allows for people to be happy with what they do well, as long as they don't exalt themselves to positions of power over others. Here the difficulties of both historic Christianity (i.e. grandiose medieval Cathedrals) and the fine-lines of the balance within the Rule are addressed head on, yet not totally resolved.

Discussions of harmony, wholeness, work, leisure follow and further underscore the Rule's notion of a balanced life that embraces the small, daily and often picayune opportunities to improve the world and the individual. Finally, hospitality and the importance of recognizing the gifts of individuals, and the need to "bloom where planted" (i.e. stability) are developed as Benedictine virtues.

What has been conspicuously absent from this book up to this point are specific prescriptions, do's and don't's if you will, for Christian living. And it seems somewhat unnecessary, even paltry when Chittister finally devotes a later chapter to monastic practices. Although these practices are consistent with the bulk of the Rule, they do not hold a preeminent place in the text. Meaning, they are examples of what someone committed to the Rule on a daily basis would naturally evince, almost like a virtue ethic. Although this may be frustrating for 20th century readers who are accustomed to 12 step programs and bullet point memorandums, it is wholly instep with the Rule according to Chittester. The book ends with a final promise of peace. At the end of a life that never arrives but is always arriving, that struggles to grow and not conquer, peace comes to the enlightened and faithful.

II. Critique

Chittester deals with the vague and nuanced notions of balance and tension in the Rule deftly. She uses approachable language and simple examples, both from her life in the monastery and from secular sources. She artfully structures the chapters in a way consistent with practical application: we are introduced to basic skills, then virtues and finally, big picture results. Moreover, she exhibits a good bit of humor and interesting writing, particularly in the use of ancient axioms, anecdotes and stories straight from the original Rule. Who could forget the John the Dwarf (p. 150), or a senior monk affronted by a withheld fig (p. 123) or the go-ahead-make-my-day monastic who wouldn't bat an eyelash at being "run through" by a big talking swordsman (p. 184).

Where "Wisdom" perhaps falls short is in Chittister's (at times unconscious) use of a highly evolved sense of perception and spiritual connectedness. The reader feels somewhat left out as Chittister recalls how the stain glass windows in the monastery chapel "tear at her soul" or how a well-hung crucifix reminders her of so many cosmic reassurances. Truly, these are symbols of a faith and for the lifelong faithful they point to wealth of memories. Yet it is her success as a contemplative and cloistered nun that renders some of her ruminations too sophisticated for the laity. Read more ›