A Monastic Vision for the 21st Century: Where Do We Go from Here? (Monastic Wisdom Series) (Paperback)

by Patrick Hart (Editor), Dom Bernardo Olivera (Introduction)
Key Phrases: night office, listening heart, monastic charism, Abbess Bridget, Abbess Gertrude, Thomas Merton (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
An ancient lifestyle which has been adapted, renewed, and is still being followed today, monasticism appears to some outside it as a quaint anachronism and to others as the sanest of all ways of living. Can it survive in the post post-modern world? A dozen insiders and outsiders--monastics, academics, clergy, laypersons, hermits, cenobites, poets, and writers--offer their reflections on the future of the monastic life of prayer and community. Contributing their insights are Michael Casey, Kathleen Norris, Lawrence Cunningham, Terrence Kardong, Bonnie Thurston, John Eudes Bamberger, Joan Chittister, Mary Margaret Funk, Gail Fitzpatrick, Francis Kline, Daniel Coughlin, Robert Morneau, Miriam Pollard, and Bernardo Olivera.

Product Details

• Paperback: 264 pages
• Publisher: Cistercian Publications (October 31, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879070579
• ISBN-13: 978-0879070571
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #119,759 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #23 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Practices > Monasticism
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Monastic Vision for the 21st Century, May 11, 2007

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

A Monastic Vision for the 21st Century: Where Do We Go From Here? is an anthology of serious-minded essays by a variety of authors, including monks and theology professors, discussing the role of monasteries - particularly Roman Catholic Cistercian monasteries - in the modern-day world. Autobiographical reflections, spiritual insights, practical considerations, theological ponderings, and much more fill these thoughtful essays, and speculations on the future of Western monasticism. Highly recommended, especially for theology and Christology students and professionals. "We live in a culture where many scientists are so taken up with the very real achievements of recent times, that they are distorting its human significance by interpreting the data to fit the ideology of materialism. Cistercian life has a contribution to make to society as well as to the Church in this context by assuring that spirituality is rooted in the reality of the created cosmos precisely by using such discoveries to implement the contemplative program outlined in more general terms by St. Bernard and his associates."

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars change and stability, July 17, 2007

By	P. Jenkins (Sydney, Australia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Some of the finest monastic scholars share their views for the future of monastic life and culture; a culture undergoing change, embracing that change with great hope with a sense of letting go of the past, whilst celebrating it.
An impressive, thoughtful, quiet and marvellous book.