Benedict Books

I had read this 30 years ago or so when I was a kid and I had fond memories of the book but couldn't remember what it was about. So, I bought a copy to read to my 9-year old daughter as a bedtime story and we were not disappointed. It is captivating, but you have to read the whole thing for all the pieces to come together and for the story to make sense. My daughter had me read some pages over and over because they were so funny.

Like the others, above, I am amazed this book is not in print. It is on my "must read" list; my father read it to me, I read it to my wife and children, and I encourage lots of people to read it. The publisher who didn't want to reprint it must be the cousin of the guy who turned down publication of the first Harry Potter book.

As with the other two people who have reviewed this book, I was introduced to it by my father. I very much enjoyed listening to this story. In the 20 years since, I have read this book several times - my copy is now ragged! I have also enjoyed reading this book to young people while working as a day care provider. There is enough mischief and mayhem, enough sneaky twists, and enough action to keep your attention. The language is, at times, poetic, at other times just plain funny. It is truly a crime that this book is not in print. I want to send a copy to my eleven year old half-sister, but don't want to give mine up!

This book is one of the funniest ever! Years ago, when I drove my latency-aged children across country, we had the book in the car, and to avoid sibling conflict on the long road trip, I had my daughter read it aloud. It's one of my most treasured memories. It has everything: Treasure, bad guys, good guys (Indians), clever kids who win the day. The publisher needs to get its head examined for not keeping it in print.

Arizona Slim tells the story as if he's chatting to you, and the misspellings help a lot. While reading you feel like you're in the book, with him. All the characters make you seem very close to them, and they are hilarios in their ways, language and actions. Their names are enough! For people who dont like long, slow moving book this is the one. Fast moving, interesting, original and above all funny. The book has a quality that you can't describe, it's so good. Really, whoever you are, you MUST read it.

This Handbook is a valuable, broad scope look at public and private sector systems currently engaged in change iniatitives around the world. Relatively free of jargon and untried theories, these field-tested case studies will appeal to a wide spectrum of readers from organization leaders and HR professionals to business school students. I came away with some important new ideas for my work and avoided a few pitfalls after reading the book.

Through the many cases presented, Barbara and Billie were able to present to the reader how the different Large Group Methods actually can be applied, and, specially, how they form part of a larger roadmap for systemic change. Interesting also how all cases have a reflections session, which is very usefull in giving actual or to-be practitioners concrete tips for implementation.
The combination of cases with theory about the methods and innovative ideas (for example, on the use of Technologies and Graphic facilitation)resulted in a superior learning experience and complements very well their first book ("Large Group Interventions: Engaging the Whole System for Rapid Change").
Last but not least, I was happy to note how there was a shift in attention from method to challenges that organizations or communities are facing - so a focus on impact and change. A book worth reading for those that are facing or will face large scale changes.

Trust Alban and Bunker to use their social science prowess and rich professional experiences to create an eminently pragmatic handbook for leaders of systems change. To their credit, the entire construction of the book also employs the very principles espoused by the contributors: inclusion of stakeholders, engagement of multiple perspectives, search for common ground, transparency, and appreciation for diversity. After soliciting cases from around the world, the authors organized them into helpful categories of interventions around "six challenges for the 21st century" and added their views on the issues created by those challenges. These chapter inputs are perfect executive summaries for clients who are mired in these dilemmas daily and are looking for solutions and they will help introduce the large group engagement methods the consultant is offering. Also invaluable is the authors' matrix of each case that delineates the organizational sector, the situation addressed, and the methods used--truly makes the text handy.

Although the book stands on its own merits for the sophisticated organization consultant, reading their previous Large Group Interventions (Jossey Bass, 1997) would give the appropriate context for the creative adaptations of the original methods that their latest book so well describes. The Handbook has not only added new methods (Appreciative Inquiry Summit, World Café and AmericaSpeaks) but, more importantly, it describes combinations of traditional methods along with new twists which are thoroughly described. Appropriately, there is a greater reliance on engagement principles for a change process instead of previously prescribed recipes for events in their prior book.

The consultant contributors have been generous with details, for the most part, so that seasoned organization development consultants will feel comfortable employing these tested methods of engagement. On the other hand, there also could also be a warning sticker that reads: "Don't Try This Alone in your Ballroom!" because much of the success comes with years of experience working with diverse groups and learning what doesn't work. Partnering with such experts is the wisest way to dive into whole system change.

As a trainer of large group principles, I particularly appreciated the enhancement tools this handbook describes--Polarity Mapping (B. Johnson), Gestalt therapy, coaching theory, using professional actors for storytelling, graphic facilitation and more. I look forward to the 2017 iteration Bunker and Alban offer to keep us on our toes!


Elizabeth K. Olson
Preferred Futures, Inc.

In the complex, interconnected, global environment that most organizations work in daily, it is no longer possible for a few people "at the top" of the organization to have all the knowledge, expertise, and perspective needed for its success. At NovaLearning, we have used large group methods with colleges and universities for about fifteen years. I have constantly seen how institutions become better -- more focused, more strategic, but also more humane -- as they incorporate ideas and insight from across the system into their operation. When Bunker and Alban's earlier book was published, I was delighted because it captured well the range of large group approaches that had developed by 1996. This new handbook goes much further.

These are substantive case studies exceptionally well framed by Bunker and Alban's insight and experience. The diverse case study authors are generous in sharing at a level of specificity that makes real learning from their experiences possible. Each chapter is organized around the presenting challenge, the context and methodology (and why chosen), a detailed description of what actually happened, and perhaps most importantly, a set of reflections and insights that give the reader the chance to share in the authors' learning. I also found valuable the examples of how the innovative use of communication technologies can provide new opportunities as well as sometimes create unexpected limitations. I strongly recommend The Handbook of Large Group Methods to consultants who use or want to use large group methods. Individual chapters will also be important and provocative for corporate, academic, social, and political leaders and change agents.

I agree with the reviewer who notes that something may be missing (other slices of large group imagination and so on) but what I see in this book is a 5 star original updating the first original work. I am also impressed by the manner in which the author-editors have engaged a total of 49 collaborators.

Despite its size this is an easy to read and appreciate book, and in my own limited experience within this literature, stands in a class by itself.

Key Point: Must recognize and engage ALL stakeholders, including those that may be "external" to "the system" but are either inputs or outputs or victims, etc.

Key Point: This literature has developed from the 1960's focus on the social psychology of organizations, to the social psychology of networks.

Key Point: Many Small Groups = a Large System (susceptible to whole systems methods) = Future Search and Shaping.

Key Point: Real time strategic change is now known as whole-scale change (I am reminded of Kirkpatrick Sale's seminal work, Human Scale

Five methods for planning the future:
+ Search Conference
+ Future Search
+ Whole-Scale Change
+ ICAA Strategic Planning Process
+ Appreciative Inquiry

This book was published before Jim Rough's pioneering work at the Center for Wise Democracy or Tom Atlee's Co-Intelligence Institute. See:
Society's Breakthrough!: Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People
The Tao of Democracy: Using Co-Intelligence to Create a World That Works for All

Large Group Methods (LGM) is very ably presented by the authors and collaborators as being ideal for working with diverse groups that have different cultures, structures, and priorities. I am reminded that we live in a world dominated by pyramidal organizations that still believe in top-down elite "command and control," and this book is therefore a revolutionary handbook for enabling bottom-up sense-making and localized social resilience.

Key point: whereas the first book focused on methods, this book focuses on challenges, the challenges rather than the methods are driving the practices.

Here are my fly-leaf notes. Some books I read to learn in depth, others I read to learn what I do not know and persuade myself the authors are essential future consultants. This is such a book. In my lifetime I cannot learn what these 49 collaborators articulate so capably.

WIDELY-DISPERSED ORGANIZATIONS
+ Defining and holding the vision
+ Tolerance for Ambiguity
+ Relationship-building

WHOLE-SYSTEM ENGAGEMENT WITH COLLABORATIVE TECHNOLOGY
+ 10% technology, 90% human interaction
+ Higher quality goals and strategies result
+ Faster decision making
+ Rapid global stakeholder alignment
+ Enhanced organizational readiness for implementation
+ New model for governance as well as participation

ORGANIZATIONS IN CRISIS
+ Focus
+ Timeline
+ Openness
+ Involvement
+ Preferences stimulate engagement
+ Seek coherence
- Directional
- Relational
- Task
- Contextual

POLARIZED AND POLITICIZED ENVIRONMENTS
+ LSG methods are more respectful of differences
+ Trust & Transformation
+ Multiple competing interests accomodated
+ Clearing the air
+ Working with tensions
+ Seven Principles
- Focus on common ground
- Rationalize conflict
- Manage conflict
- Expand individuals' view of the situation (beyond egotistic)
- Acknowledge history of group conflict and feelings
- Manage public airing of differences
- Reduce hierarchy as much as possible

COMMUNITIES WITH DIVERSE INTEREST GROUPS
+ Different from organizations, less structured, more ambiguous
+ Need sponsorship and sustainability of effort
+ Need representative planning groups from across the community
+ Skilled facilitators are essential
+ Conclude by recognizing, recording, and tracking commitments

WORKING CROSS-CULTURALLY
+ Be aware of what you do not know
+ Relationship-oriented, NOT "USA Work Before Pleasure"
+ Respect desire to maintain distance and privacy
+ Pace of decisions can be very slow
+ Respect desire to be part of a collective voice instead of an individual on the spot
+ Four Worlds
- North = intellect
- South = feeling
- East = intuition
- West = pragmatic
+ Conversations are for:
- Relationships
- Possibilities
- Action

EMBEDDING NEW PATTERNS
+ Patience
+ Respect self-organizing tendencies
+ Keep it simple

The resource section contains three additional contributions. The middle one, on graphics, captured my attention.

GRAPHICS:
+ Engage participants
+ Focus and ground energy of group
+ Provide space where participants feel heard
+ Bridge cultures
+ Surface unheard voices
+ Provide summative and integrative function
+ Provide continuity and enhance sustainability

I have personally witnessed the effectiveness of graphics at Nexus for Change and Bioneers. It is a hugely impressive technique for eliciting, capturing, and visualizing the disparate contribution of many individual minds. Those who are able to execute this function are gifted.

My eye was also caught by Covision's fast feedback cycle (bottom to top):
+ Ambivalence
+ Awareness
+ Understanding
+ MUTUAL Understanding
+ Alignment
+ Buy In
+ Commitment

The book ends with a reading list (part of what persuaded me it is better to engage these talents than try to replicate their knowledge), short bios of the very impressive collection of 49 collaborators, and a first-class index.

This is an important book. See also:
The Change Handbook: The Definitive Resource on Today's Best Methods for Engaging Whole Systems
The World Cafe: Shaping Our Futures Through Conversations That Matter
How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, Updated Edition
The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World
One from Many: VISA and the Rise of Chaordic Organization
Collective Intelligence: Creating a Prosperous World at Peace

I am limited to ten links. See also Group Genius, Five Minds, Smart Mobs, Wisdom of the Crowds, Wealth of Networks, Revolutionary Wealth, Infinite Wealth, Wealth of Knowledge, Army of Davids, etc.

This book is great, but once again, the author and publisher have erroneous info that was published. In this book, St Maximilian Kolbe is listed as a martyr in Dachau...ahhhh! He was martyred in Aushwitz, which is listed in just about every bit of published info about him. In another book, he has St Gianna Beretta Molla as being born in South America. The dear doctor and mother never left Europe. She was born and raised in Italy! This is another common and well-know fact about this saint. Please check those facts before they get to print!!

I enjoyed reading this book! Dr. Matthew Bunson does an excellent job of describing the events surrounding the transition from Pope John Paul II to Pope Benedict XVI. He covers the events surrounding, and immediately following, the death of John Paul II on April 2, 2005. Then he covers the funeral of John Paul II, which seems to have had the largest funeral attendance in human history. Then he covers the period leading up to and including the conclave. He discusses the issues that the conclave was dealing with, leading up to the white smoke and bells announcing the election of Pope Benedict XVI on April 19, 2005. He also covers the events immediately following the election of Benedict XVI, up to the Installation Mass on the following Sunday. In the final section he includes a chapter discussing the life of (now) Benedict XVI, his life before he became cardinal, including his studying for the priesthood, and his role in the Second Vatican Council. Another chapter discusses his life as Cardinal Ratzinger, and the final chapter discusses the tasks which lay ahead of the new pope. So this book is a great introduction the new pope, and a great account of his election and the events preceding it. In addition, it includes pictures of the new pope, and also includes his homilies at the Funeral Mass, as well as at the Installation Mass. At the beginning the book also includes a chronology of his life (and world events surrounding it). At the end it includes a list of books written by the new pope, as well as a listing of all the popes of the Catholic Church, as well as a glossary. In short this book is an excellent resource for those wanting to learn about Pope Benedict XVI, and helpful for those wanting general information on popes or papal elections.

It's only been a short while since Cardinal Ratizinger became pope and when I bought it I expected it to be a quickie slapdash collection of articles. It's much better than that. Matthew Bunson touches on the days before JPII died and the outpouring of grief and love that occurred after his death. He gives a straightforward peek into the conclave proccess and finally introduces the reader to Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict 16.

You will find a quick run down of Joseph Ratzinger's life and get an idea of just how much John Paul the II respected and relied on Benedict 16. If you didn't know who Cardinal Ratzinger was before or if you got your image of him from the knee jerk reactions of the media We Have a Pope is a very good place for the average soul in the back pews to start getting an idea of who the new Holy Father is.

Dr. Bunson does a magnificent job of covering the transition from Pope John Paul to Pope Benedict. He gives a thorough treatment of the issues the cardinals had to wrestle with going in to the conclave and gives insight into the process. In the last part of the book he provides a brief but thorough biography of the pope and great insight into how the pope's background and convictions may shape his papacy.

Some nice features include: the full text of his first two homilies as pope; two appendixes that cover the entire bibliography of works in English by the pope as well as a list of all popes; a glossary of terms; great color photos of the pope.

I am amazed that such a thorough treatment of the transition and issues came out in such a short period of time. Even though I followed the events closely, this volume is fresh and provided new insights. This book was not thrown together -- it is clearly the work of someone who reflected deeply on the transition and has a thorough knowledge of the Vatican and the man who is pope. I have read several of Benedict's own works, but wish I would have read this first. It really helps to put the other writings in context. Thank you Dr. Bunson!

For those of us glued to our television sets during this Spring's events during the passing of Pope John Paul II and the election of our new Holy Father, Benedict XVI, this book brings back many touching memories of a special time in our Church's history.

Matthew Bunson, Catholic author and historian, has given us a timely (but not rushed) account of this transitional time. Highlights of the book include a chronology of Benedict XVI's place in the Church history timeline, a first-person retelling of the funeral, conclave and election process and events, lovely and high quality color photos, and a look ahead at the Church our new Pope will lead into the future. Also included are a comprehensive list of the Pope's prior publications, a complete list of popes, and a helpful glossary.

Bunson's book is well written, highly detailed but also very readable. A book to enjoy today and to share with our children in the future when we recount our memories of this special time.

In deceptively simple prose, the author paints a picture of St. Benedict and the Middle Ages that stands as a mirror for our time. Each chapter is short and often organized around a theme (eg. my favorite, a chapter on prideful careerism leading to demonic possession) and makes for a good meditation before going to sleep. In spite of the book's simplicity--or because of it--Benedict stands out as a truly important figure in European history.

Butcher describes Benedict's Rule, writing, "Its honest voice and kind simplicity draw the reader in completely." However, this does not only describe Benedict's Rule, but also characterizes Carmen Butcher's book, Man of Blessing. I thoroughly enjoyed every word, right down to the appendix where Butcher summarizes the 73 chapters of the Rule. She makes this ancient text accessible to anyone lucky enough to pick up her book. Butcher's investigation into who Benedict was and how he got that way is intriguing and enlightening. The constant delving into word history brings us closer to the heart of Benedict and the words he would have used to communicate with those he loved: his followers and his Leader. By defining Benedict's rule as "...a spiritual guide designed- not for mystics or superhumans- but for the average person wanting to commune with God and enjoy a more meaningful life," Butcher gives a picture of Benedict's Rule, while at the same time defining her own book as well.

As a Catholic law student currently taking a course on Western Legal Tradition, I found this book to provide a wonderful supplement to my course. St. Benedict's compilation of the Rule is an admirable life endeavor and an incredible process of perfecting "laws" applicable to living a faith-filled life. His life story written with an eye to the academic reader, as well as those readers seeking knowledge of his life given our current Pope's namesake, is an easy, informative, and inspirational read.

MAN OF BLESSING is a delightful account of the inspiring life of St. Benedict. Carmen Butcher's gift for language and love for etymology shine through this book and make it both enjoyable and informative. The dramatic story of the transformation of Benedict from the humble hermit of Subiaco to the gentle abbot of Monte Cassino offers a unique glimpse into the often secluded world of Benedictine monastic orders. This book also details the context in which Benedict develops his continuously refined "Rule", which becomes the definitive guidebook for future monastic societies. The value of charity, humility, and poverty personified in this saint of old, still has relevance today. Once again one is reminded that less is always more in the Kingdom of God, and that there is no limit to what God can do with a life that is totally yielded to Him. The impact of such a man of blessing truly is incalculable. Butcher makes this quiet figure of history sing praises once more!!

This lovely, charming book gives us the life of St. Benedict in the format used by ancient biographers to tell the life of a saint. Each chapter is a small story, an episode in his life, that has a lesson for us embedded into it. And like all ancient saint biographies, there is an air of "magical realism" in that whether or not the miracle actually happened as recorded doesn't really matter. A lesson is imparted to us that holds a higher truth. It is strange that this man, Benedict, who lived 1500 years ago can seem so contemporary in ways. His rule of life has certainly remained meaningful and is lived by many people today, both monastics and lay people. The author well describes Benedict's sense of spiritual and psychological balance, his kindness, and gifts as a spiritual father. I recommend this fine book to anyone who practices lectio, or just wants to learn more about Benedict.

THE RULE OF ST. BENEDICT is the classic text for monastic life. Reading it will be interesting to most modern Protestants, much the way that trivia written on a Pringles potato chip is interesting.

HOWEVER, if the modern Protestant reader makes a couple of simple substitutions (i.e. monastery = church life, abbot = pastor, etc.) the rule takes on a new life and makes an excellent devotional booklet.

This short book is all about life within community, which is often an Achilles heel of Protestant churches. Within the covers of this book are hard hitting comments about holding the tongue, silence, humility, submission, hospitality, living a life of prayer, decision making, etc. With a few minor alterations these comments are as applicable to modern Protestants as to sixth century monastics. Do not get hung up on the particulars, focus on the principles. I don't know of many monks today that sleep in common bunk houses, but they still focus on the communal truths contained in the text.

If you are a Protestant, do not shy away from this book. It has the potential to deepen your understanding of the church.

Father Timothy Fry OSB, a monk of St. Benedict's Abbey in Atchison, Kansas, and editor of RB 1980, died at the Abbey on Saturday, January 20. He was 91 years old. Born in Paxico, Kansas, Fr. Timothy professed first monastic vows in 1936 and became a priest in 1941. The monks will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday morning, January 25 2007, at the Abbey.

There seems to be some confusion over which edition these reviews are about. If the product details for the page you are looking at show less than 100 pages, this is a basic copy of the Rule of St. Benedict. If you are looking for the Rule (RB 1980), in Latin and English (with excellent notes from Timothy Fry), it should be a little less then 700 pages.

Truly this is the centerpiece, with the Gospels and Cassian and Origen, etc., for any Catholic monastic library, and yet other translations can be found, in particular Doyle's clear and faithful reading version of The Rule of Saint Benedict. I shall give a few reasons for this determination in a moment.

This review refers of course to the 627 page reference work published by Collegeville's Liturgical Press, with Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat, which still bear some small significance for some of us, upon the occassion of the 1500th anniversary of Saint Benedict's birth. Surprisingly the product detail page here on amazon gives us few details of this irreplaceable and comprehensive and monumental and historic work. Permit me this disclaimer that my poor summary here in no way can replace a careful personal examination of this necessary book, and space prevents neither such a presentation nor a careful theological examination.

Briefly therefore this work opens with a contextual and historical forward by Martin Burne, OSB, of Saint Mary's in Morristown. What follows is a Preface by the head stylist, Rev. Timothy Fry, OSB, of Atchison, who explains the process of translation by committee as well as explaining the lay-out and the production and producers of this monumental Benedictine work, and assorted acknowledgements. As Father Timothy explains, Part I is the Introduction with a history of monasticism in order to set the Rule of Saint Benedict in its historical and cultural context, including an understanding of the references to other authors made by Saint Benedict. Part II presents the amazing core of this work: a side by side publication of the original Latin text of Saint Benedict alongside (on the facing page) the new English translation, including for the first time in English the Anselmo Lentini 1947 versification. Extensive explanatory notes also grace these pages. Part III contains long expository essays in a way not available in the explanatory notes, with cross references. These essays include long examinations and definitions of terms such as Monk, Cenobite, Nun, Abbot, as well as the Liturgical Code of Saint Benedict. They also consider his Disciplinary Measures, and methods of formation and profession. They examine how Saint Benedict interprets Holy Scripture, and compares him to another early Monastic Rule.

Part Four is an excellent Thematic Index, with Patristic, Scriptural and a General Index. The Thematic Index features a useful explanation of Latin terminology, and especially vaulable is the Selected Latin COncordance which precedes it. This very extensive Concordance indicates Saint Benedict's usage of nearly every term in the Rule, using Lentini's versification, most often within a brief context, and is most useful to students not only of the Rule but of Latin. The Indexing is really very complete and varied in methodologies, and quickly lost among them all is the wonderful few pages indicating Benedicitne Houses in North America, including Regina Laudis, etc.

Now a small note about the translation by committee, which I find a bit academic in style and complex in syntax. Perhaps I have simply grown to love the Doyle translation of the The Rule of Saint Benedict, but comparing it to the original Latin as avaiable here, I find it even more faithful. For example let us look at a few lines before I use up my space alloted here upon the broad amazon.

Latin as you may know arranges its sentences in order of importance, with the verb finally bringin up the rear and breaking that suspense. Thusly we ordinarily read the most important or stressed elements first and less emphasized items later, with the big bang of the verb closing the sentence.

Therefore let us look at Chapter 53 On the Reception of Guests, at line 6 (following Lentini) and seven and part of eight:

In ipsa autem salutatione omnis exhibeatur humilitas omnibus venientibus sive discedentibus hospitibus: inclinato capite vel prostrato omni corpore in terra, Christus in eis adoretur qui et suscipitur. Suscepti autem hospites ducantur ad orationem ( . . .)

This Fry committee translation reads: "All humility should be shown in addressing a guest on arrival or departure. By a bow of the head or by a complete prostration on the body, Christ is to be adored because he is indeed welcomed in them. After the guests have been received, they should be invited to pray ( . . .)"

The Doyle reads the same in the reading for April 4, August 4, December 4: "In the salutation of all guests, whether arriving or departing, let all humility be shown. Let the head be bowed or the whole body prostrated on the ground in the adoration of Christ, who indeed is received in their persons. After the guests have been received and taken to prayer ( . . .)"

I prefer therefore the more substantial reading by Doyle, who speaks of the earth mentioned by Benedict, and who stresses receiving Christ in the guests, as the phrase runs: Christ in them is adored, who is also received. Notice "in eis" immediately follows "Christus," stressing the unity and importance, unlike Fry who moves "in them" to the end of the sentence, leaving the adoration of Christ rather distant and vague. Benedict "autem" here stresses the Eucharistic dimension of receiving guests at a monastery as receiving Christ, in adoration, and elsewhere stresses the greater worshipful loving care with which the poor and homeless are received. Therefore, in this case, I find the Doyle not only more readable but also more closely reflective of the meaning of Saint Benedict. Of course, I would prefer by far to have performed long ago my own "invisibly" faithful translation!

Further reflection on this Chapter 53 reveals this further order in regard to the poor and the homeless, which bears comparative study of the translations. At line fifteen by the Lentini versification, Saint Benedict writes: "Pauperum et peregrinorum maxime susceptioni cura sollicite exhibeatur, quia in ipsis magis Christus suscipitur; nam divitum terror ipse sibi exigit honorem."

Fry et al. translate this intriguing order as: "Great care and concern are to be shown in receiving poor people and pilgrims, because in them more particularly Christ is received; our very awe of the rich guarantees them special respect."

Doyle presents this as: "In the reception of the poor and of pilgrims the greatest care and solicitude should be shown, because it is especially in them that Christ is received; for as far as the rich are concerned, the very fear which they inspire wins respect for them."

Yet clearly any first year Latin student can see how both have softballed this important and strong line. A closer parsing may be, for instance: "The poor and the homeless must be received showing the maximum care and sollicitude, because within them, themselves, is Christ most greatly received; as the very terror of the rich squeezes out for them honors."

Notice how clearly Saint Benedict here defines two important theological currents. From the beginnings of our Church, in Jesus's commands to feed the hungry and clothe the naked and release from debts, etc., in the community sharing of the Acts of the Apostles, through CELAM's definition at Medellin of our "preferential option for the poor" we see the need for practicing our Faith in serving the poor, in whom we meet and receive Christ, eucharistically. This is the second constant current, from the beginning, through Benedict, through the ages, through Father Schillebeeckx's The Eucharist, through Father Tissa's The Eucharist and Human Liberation, through Sacramento de La Caridad: Sacramentum Caritatis, we meet and we receive Christ in one another and especially in the poor, in a Eucharistic sacrament and celebration. Saint Benedict repeats this truth of our Faith on numerous occassions and in numerous places as displayed in this tome's thematic index.

Another interesting line of course is found at Chapter 55, verse 18 by Lentini: "Et ut hoc vitium peculiaris radicitus amputetur, dentur ab abbate omnia quae sunt necessaria ( . . .)" which Fry reports as "In order that this vice of private ownership may be completely uprooted, the abbot is to provide all things necessary ( . . .)." This line of course is soon followed by reference to the Acts of the Apostles: "Distribution was made to each according as anyone had need." And Doyle reads it as: "And in order that this vice of private ownership may be cut out by the roots, the Abbot should provide all the necessary articles ( . . .)" which are basically clothing, shoes, a handkerchief and writing instruments. The Latin reads strongly on this point And so that this vice of private ownership can be amputated (or ripped out) by the roots, it falls to the abbot to provide all that is necessary.

Not much variation here, but read the line preceding this one: Quae tamen lecta frequentur ab abbate scrutinanda sunt propter opus peculiare, ne inveniatur; et si cui inventum fuerit quod ab abbate non accepit, gravissima disciplinae subiaceat.

What does this say to our individualist consumer society, and to those books available here which appallingly claim to apply Benedictine principles to business practices? Do they as Benedict commands give last year's goods and belongings to the poor?

We need to study this good book closely today, and put her into practice in our lives, build our communities, and, as Saint Benedict so kindly and gently and correctly writes, pray we all come together unto eternal life.

In regards to the english/latin version: This book was standard reading in my novitiate, but I fell in love with the historical information as well as the commentary that goes with the rule. I would recommend this book to anybody considering any type of religious vocation as well as to those who are interested in the history of christian monasticism.

Of all the books about living the Rule of St. Benedict as a lay person, I think this one is the best. Though not lengthy, it takes time to read and to ponder. If you're wondering about whether Western monastic principles might help you live your own life, outside a monastery, this gem is for you.

While this book obviously has a role as a guide for Catholics wanting to develop a Benedictine spirituality in their life, there is a tremendous amount here that would be useful for anyone looking for new ways to overcome the petty distractions in life, and to get more out of both work and play. The foundation of the book may be the lives of Benedictine monks, but what they've learned over the centuries can be useful to all of us.

The book does a great job of illustrating the principles with real life examples, and doesn't paper over the challenges involved.

Wil Derkse's book on the Rule of Benedict for beginners is a wonderful introduction to this subject. The Rule of St. Benedict itself is a fairly short book, usually printed in fewer than 100 pages, with its 73 chapters of a few paragraphs in length at most. However, often a simple reading of the Rule leaves modern readers dis-satisfied; it is a rule in many ways of and for a different world, just as the biblical texts can be so characterised. However, it is also, like the Bible, a text that speaks to us today, and has application and inspiration for modern followers.

Benedict's Rule for life includes worship, work, study, prayer, and relaxation. Benedict's Rule requires community -- even for those who become hermits or solitaries, there is a link to the community through worship and through the Rule. No one is alone. This is an important part of the relationship of God to the world, so it is an integral part of the Rule.

Benedict's Rule was set out first in a world that was torn with warfare, economic and political upheaval, and a generally harsh physical environment. This Rule was set out to bring order to a general chaos in which people lived. This is still true today, and men and women all over the world use Benedict's 'little rule for beginners' as a basic structure for their lives.

The first word of the rule is Listen. This is perhaps the best advice for anyone looking for any guidance or rule of life. While Benedict's Rule is decidedly Christocentric and hierarchical (though not as hierarchical as much popular ideas about monastic practice would have one think), it nonetheless can give value to any reader who is looking to construct a practice for oneself.

Benedict's establishment of a monastery was in fact the establishment of a school for spirituality. In his prologue to the Rule, Benedict even states this as his intention. In drawing up its regulations, he intends to set down 'nothing harsh, nothing burdensome.' He sets forth in this brief rule a guide to individual life within community that will bring one ever closer to the divine.

Benedict explores the issues of charity, personality, integrity, and spirituality in all of his rules. From the clothing to the prayer cycle to the reception of guests, all have a purpose that fits into a larger whole, and all have positive charges and negative warnings. Benedict is especially mindful of the sin of pride, be it pride of possession, pride of person, pride of place -- he strives for equality in the community (as a recognition that all are equal before God).

Derkse's book is not a handbook on Benedictine spirituality per se, but rather an introduction to those parts of the Benedictine practice that can be useful and adapted to life outside the monastery. Derkse is himself an oblate member of a Benedictine order - oblates are those who live outside the monastic community, but have ties to the community materially and spiritually, and adapt the Rule of Benedict to fit a secular life, with due reverence and concern for God.

Derkse recounts person experiences in his own growth toward oblature, as well as lessons learned from key aspects of the Rule. Modern issues such as time management, leadership, constancy and commitment, and attentiveness are addressed in ways consistent with both old and new practices. Those who seek a deeper spirituality in the world will be enlightened, but those who might want to adapt time-proven methods to modern situations will also find insight here.

This is a book of only 85 pages, but it can take a long time to read if one does so properly - Derkse recommends reading slowly and intently, letting the spirit form: this is reading for formation, not information.

This slender book is the most important one I've read in the past 25 years. It truly is. It has made me look at my workaholic life, and has made me ask the hard questions: what's my goal? how am I enjoying my journey? is life full of joy and peace? And, most importantly, do I go to sleep and wake up beautiful and joyful and present to life? What?????????? Me? The one who wakes up groaning in expectation of the trials ahead, and flops into bed at night glad that the hardest part of the day is over? I chuckle as I think back to my first experiences with this joy and peace business. It was hard work! And it still is, no lie. Now, lest you think this is a self-help text first, read the book and be surprised. It is a self-help book in so far that the message will help you. And the message is all about finding our incarnational God, at the heart of it all: slowing down, doing serious attending, stopping projects, and starting projects. I wish I had found this book years ago, but I might not have been ready. Something about the teacher appearing when the student is ready............... If you are ready, read this gem. Hope you find the Lord waiting for you.

This is a brief, well written and organized book on the application of the Rule of Benedict to everyday life and work. It is a perfect book for "beginners," by which it is meant serious practicing religious and spiritual laypersons that "begin" at each moment, here and now and, practice attending to every activity with the same degree of gratitude and devotion. This is a book that can and must be read more than once and has applications for individual practice as well as group study. I recommend it highly to helping professionals.

Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict not only explains the rule in clear terms, it shows how it can be implemented (i.e., lived) by an individual living outside of a monastic community. As a married man with children (now grown) who loves his family oriented vocation, the book gave me both insight into, and a way to live out my calling to a contemplative spirituality in a world that rarely appreciates or acknowledges such a mixed vocation. It's been more than 25 years since I first read the book and while I've only re-read it cover to cover a couple of times over the years, I have frequently picked it up to re-read a few pages or a chapter that seems relevant.

"Seeking God" helped bring "The Rule of St. Benedict" into focus for me, enabling me to see clearly the wisdom of Benedict's vision for our day. For two other books that explore Benedictine wisdom for parents, look for "The Family Cloister: Benedictine Wisdom for the Home" and "The Christian Family Toolbox: 52 Benedictine Activities for the Home", both by David Robinson (New York: Crossroad,2000 and 2001). Benedict still speaks relevantly and prophetically in our day!

This is an amazing book in it ability to provide modern day interpretation to the St. Benedict's teachings. The insights of this saint who lived in the 6th century contain uncanny wisdom and direction for us today, whether as religious, lay person, for family and business leaders. Ms de Waal's style is thoughtful, prayerful, inspiring.
I recommend it to anyone who is interested in personal, and/or societel growth.

I found Esther's book to be very insightful and concise. The only thing that trip me up a bit was the very small print and small fonts. Other than that she has a very clever way of explaining the rule of benedict and what it could mean for ones lay lifestyle. This is an excellent read for anyone wishing to become an Oblate.

Seeking God is an elegant, insightful, and extremely valuable treatment of the spirituality inherent in St. Benedict's Rule. The further into the book I read, the better I realized it was. Again and again I was impressed with the wisdom and psychological astuteness of the Rule as deWaal explained it. Benedict's way of moderation, humility, and balance, as interpreted by deWaal, seems one of the wisest and healthiest examples of Christian thinking that I have encountered. It is an excellent antidote to the regrettable tendency of some to want to separate body from soul and the material world from the spiritual world; Benedictine spirituality instead balances and integrates them!

I have had this book for a few years and have tried most of the recipes and they are right on the mark. You cannot fail if you follow the directions. The cookies are very tasty even the ones I was skeptical about. You will love the jazzed up taste at least that's what my guests say. The book is very well written and the techniques are easy to follow. I have all of Ms. Benedicts cook/entertaining books and I am truely a fan of all of them. I cannot wait till she comes out with another book.

This is a good collection of recipes using spirits in unusual ways. Some of the directions may be a little sketchy, but the ideas are "stimulating" and can be extrapolated to creations not suggested here. I would like to see a book with recipes for other baked goods using liquors and liqueurs.

I have made thousands of cookies in my life. I find this book a fresh new idea to Christmas baking as well as all times of the year. The techniques are easy to follow and are beneficial to everyone from begininner baker to the expert. I have sampled many of the recipes and found them delicious and have gotten rave reviews from the tasters. Ms. Benedict has a great idea and I can't wait for the next volume of sophisticated cookies. Thanks for the book and keep baking!!

The Sophisticated Cookie does an excellent job with a tricky subject: cooking with booze. While it is perhaps a fallacy that "all the alcohol bakes out;" at least most of it does, and we are frequently left with flavor that is, well, sophisticated. You might find your liquor cabinet woefully understocked for some of these delicacies; on the other hand, you might be inspired to finally reach for some of those neglected aperitifs you've been so carefully sheltering all these years. Thanks, Jeanne Benedict, for raising the humble cookie to its rightful place in the pantheon of ciusine.

Food writer Elliot Essman's other reviews and food articles are available at www.stylegourmet.com

I make between 100 and 150 cookies each week for the S.C. House of Representatives of which my husband is a member. This is my fifth year of making the cookies and I never repeat a recipe, so I'm always on the lookout for good cookie recipes. I made the Wild Walnut Wheels this week and they were a huge hit. I was amazed at how good the Kamikaze cookies were - who ever heard of a lime cookie? This is the first cookie cookbook I have owned that truly has some new and different recipes. Highly recommended!!!!!!!!

This is a pretty book and tastefully presented. My wife found it to be quite inspirational for Lent.

Scrturally devotional and very inspiring to pray the Stations in a contemporay way in union with the Holy Father and the univesal Church

A poetic and beautifully significant Via Crucis, to instill in us Christ's trip to Calvary..in preparation for the Resurrection on Easter Sunday. Each station is prayerful yet theologically inspired. Full of the Face of Human Warmth. Written by our present Pope.Prayed on the last Good Friday of the life of the beloved Pope John Paul II.

This is a beautiful book in which Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) sets forth the Stations which he gave for Lent 2004 at the request of the late Pope John Paul the Great before the latter's death. Like all of Pope Benedict's writings, his message is clear and concrete and it is very easy to read and understand by everyone. Each station is accompanied by a thoughtful and prayerful meditation, as well as a beautiful picture depicting the particular Station of the Cross upon which to dwell as you pray the stations with the help of this book. The meditations are a true masterpiece of love by Il Papa, Il Grande Innamorato - Pope Benedict XVI.

This is a new one for me, with amazing artwork and deep meditations. As a new read on an old topic this one really shook things up for me. It drew me in to the meditations and prayers in a new and intriguing ways.

In this book Cardinal Ratzinger studies the tension that arises when a split occurs between the state and religion. He tackles modern secularist notions, discusses abortion, and also addresses the notion that if not atheism, then perhaps agnosticism is the best position that man can hope for. The discussion he provides is well thought out and easy to grasp. You may not agree with everything he says, but the beauty and brilliance of the arguments put forth are undeniable.

A must read if you are interested in the recent and ongoing decline of western civilization. The causative factors are clearly delineated from many points of view, but always from the starting point of the pope's awesome faith and love for God and His Creation.

-Jeremy

Along with such classics as 'clash of civilizations' and 'rage and the pride' this book is a must read for anyone interested in the least bit in preserving their culture and faith in the face of the assault on the west by various non-western and supra-western cultures. For those who are pro partial-birth abortions, probably this book will be offensive because the Pope takes the Catholic church's view that abortion is immoral.

The central theme of this book is that the West is threatened by the new immorality of western moral relativism and that it is additioanlly partially threatened by the non-western immigrants who invade the west, however the greater danger is internal, the abandonment of religion and faith, and the denial of the fact that Christian roots are indigenous to Europe.

Many wont be able to stumach this book, and even some protestants will find the catholic overtones problematic. However it is an essential and important work.

Seth J. Frantzman

Pope Benedict has been a keen and precise critic of the cultural clashes that have been shaking the West over the last half a century. He doesn't kowtow to the latest politically correct fad, nor does he mince words to state the truth. In this book he clearly outlines the what the greatest threats are to the Christian culture and the civilization which is based upon it. This is a must read for anyone who wants to understand better the position of the Catholic Church in the ongoing global culture wars.

Non-Catholics and those of nominal faith might be more comfortable reading
"Without Roots: The West, Relativism, Christianity, Islam"
by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger and Marcello Pera first. The analysis is much the same but correctives, in the form of a return to a pan-European shared faith (by Pena--the head of the Italian Senate) and/or individual action (Benedict)will find a wider audience.

Either book is a must read for anyone commenting upon or interested in the current geopolitical scene. At the end of the 19th century, Dostoyevsky in "Notes from the Underground" and Pope Leo XIII in "On Socialism" (Quod Apostolici Muneris) warned where conflicts within Western Civilization were headed. 1917 and the horrors of communist and fascist totalitarianism were not adverted. Pera and Benedict are raising the same warning flags today. Is the problem as critical as they believe? Can a tragedy be averted? No one knows of course. But that there is a problem is irrefutable and these two book should not be ignored.

Recently purchased "America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It" by Mark Steyn. Rated it three stars and that was being charitable as Steyn not only provides little hope but the witty prose his newspaper columns are, rightly, admired for is flat and tendentious when spead out over 256 pages.

Benedict and Pera, in contrast, explain why the west is unable to condemn evil and what can be done to ameloriate that failing.