Engaging Benedict. What the Rule Can Teach Us Today

Nearly fifteen centuries ago, Benedict of Nursia wrote a rule for Christians who yearned for a closer relationship with the Divine and were willing to live, work, and pray together in community. With its core values of contemplation, hospitality, and simplicity, the Rule remains as useful and fresh today as it was when Benedict wrote it in Italy those many centuries ago.As Wisdom literature, each generation must wrestle with the Rule's meaning and relevance for our lives. Author Laura Swan, a Benedictine sister, looks at the Rule with a critical eye, seeking to unpack problematic parts and uncover gems that support the yearnings of today's seekers. She takes the obstacles that women and young people find in the Rule and offers insights that resonate with their experience and are still faithful to the challenge of the Rule. Readers will discover that Benedict's wisdom can shed much light on their own lives. By wrestling with the Rule and taking it seriously, Laura Swan offers readers guidance on many difficult and painful questions.