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 Book Summary December 26, 2008
Wisdom Distilled From the Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today, by Joan Chittister, seeks to restate the Rule of St. Benedict in language that modern readers can understand. The Rule of St. Benedict, written in sixth century Italy, aspires to bring "balance and simplicity" and "asks for a life that deals with a little bit of everything in proper measure: work, prayer, solitude, relationships."
Chittister emphasizes that the Rule, though historically followed by thousands of monks and nuns, is for average people who desire to live abundant lives. She sets up four overarching principles to living the Rule well: life balance, a call to follow the gospel, an openness to the wisdom of others, and a focus on community and not only oneself.
By discussing key areas of Listening, Prayer, Community, Humility, Monastic Mindfulness, Work, Leisure, Giftedness, Hospitality, Obedience, Stability, Monastic Practices, Peace, and Monastic Vision, Chittister brings a simple, yet powerful perspective on true spirituality. She reaches to the core of who we are, where most conviction and most comfort is needed. The challenge set forth, is to create space in our personal and communal lives that allows for our spiritual hearts and ears to become more greatly attentive to the ever-present movement of God.
The ancient wisdom of the Rule of St. Benedict in Wisdom Distilled from the Daily is amazingly powerful insight for life today. It is inspiring to the reader who desires to hear God more purely and live life more fully.
 Living the rule of St. Benedict Today November 27, 2008
Spirituality can be a somewhat ambiguous word that is difficult to put into simple words or phrases. However, this book, based on the ancient decrees of St. Benedict written over fifteen hundred years ago, accomplishes this task by providing a clear and concise description of the components of what spirituality should entail. Chittister highlights all of the significant topics of a healthy spiritual life including prayer, obedience, humility and praxis. She is able to convey, through a seemingly antiquated way of life, a compelling and thought provoking challenge - to live a life with meaning and purpose, just as God had intended for us all. As I was reading this book, there were times when I thought she was describing a situation that had little relevance to today's society. Then she would succinctly tie Benedictine spirituality into the ways of our current lives, whether you were married with children, single, grounded in faith or exploring faith for the first time. She periodically interjects what can be best described as monastic parables to make her point. These parables are highly informative and quite entertaining at the same time. Much to my delight, Chittister grounds many of her thoughts in scripture, calling us to put on the mind of Christ and encouraging us to live our lives in light of the Gospel. Most importantly, by reading this book I was able to shed many of my preconceived ideas of ancient, highly structured religious dogmas as being irrelevant. This book has challenged me to reconsider my presuppositions that all early church doctrine is irrelevant in today's spirituality, what I originally wanted to resist I eventually embraced. I found myself acknowledging content of the book as being beneficial for a heightened spirituality through practical application with respect to Christian Ethics, pastoral care and evangelizing. I hope and pray others who read this book will be enlightened by the people of faith who have dedicated their total being to the Rule of St. Benedict and have the stories of changed lives to show for their faithfulness.
 relevant and enjoyable November 3, 2008
In "Wisdom Distilled From The Daily: Living the Rule of St. Benedict Today", Sister Joan Chittister writes about how the Rule of Saint Benedict (aka the Rule) is still a relevant and potent guide to Christian spirituality for the common person of today, as it has been for many people since the 4th century. From her over 50 years as a nun in the Order of Saint Benedict, she writes in an accessible manner about her understanding and experience with the Rule to show that community, listening, prayer, and stability are required elements to spirituality. She contends that a Gospel life is measured both through the self and one's impact on those around us. Chittister addresses present day misconceptions on humility, hospitality, obedience, work, leisure and charges that they have caused many of our problems today. Though Chittister clearly believes the Rule of St. Benedict is a path to Christian spirituality, she does not believe it is necessarily the only one. She acknowledges that the Rule "is simply a guide to the Gospels" and presents the Benedictine monastic belief and way through stories and examples to make her arguments and from which the "everyday" person can reflect and use to develop their own spirituality. For someone investigating Christian spirituality, Chittister's book offers many insights from a Rule that has been practiced, tested, and lasted for approximately 1500 years.
Book Review October 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In the last chapter of her book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister describes the glass doors leading into her monastery's chapel and their affect on the worshiper. She says, "From the altar...the foyer is a clear view. From the foyer, the altar makes a magnetic center. Each is to the other a necessity. " This picture sums up the Rule of St. Benedict, a way of life that positions everyday people like you and me in a place of attentiveness to the Holy Spirit, even as we live in the real world, outside the doors of the chapel. The way of life Chittister describes is a response to the heavy sigh of generations, translated so well by songwriter Bruce Cockburn in a line that says, "Sometimes the best map will not guide you. " The Benedictine way of life is not a formula for better living. Rather, it is the product of a life lived together by early Benedictine monks, and reflects a posturing of the heart that is still needed for life lived together today. Some of the Benedictine practices Chittister describes include regular prayer and Scripture reading, with the chief aim of encountering God and being changed in His presence; cultivating balance between rest and work; developing a heart that obediently listens to God and humbly listens to people; and stability, that "willingness to grow where I am " even when relationships get hard and commitment is no longer romantic. These practices will not provide a quick fix, but for those willing to engage with the Lord through Chittister's literary offering, the "Rule of Benedict...takes the dust and clay of everyday and turns it into beauty."
Quality book October 18, 2008
In her book, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Joan Chittister attempts to reframe the sometimes nebulous concept of Christian spirituality in a way that is both relevant and accessible to individuals living out every day life. Using the ancient Rule of St. Benedict as a springboard, Chittister brings the idea of a spiritual life into the contemporary world. Each chapter addresses a different principle found in the Rule of St. Benedict such as prayer, community life, hospitality, obedience, and peace, among others. Her goal is to show that the spiritual life is not above and beyond all but the most pious religious individuals. Spirituality can be practiced every day by everyone in every situation. To Chittister, Christian spirituality is more than prayer and Bible reading. It is hard work and deep rest. It is awareness of others and mindfulness of self. It is the search for peace in a world at war and the gentle care of the planet.
A common element throughout the book is life in community. In most every chapter, Chittister spends some time reminding the reader of the importance of living not in an individualistic manner as is common especially in the United States, but in community with each other. This is both a great strength to the book as well as an area of critique. At times there seems to be a slight disconnect between the principle set forth in the beginning of the chapter (i.e. Obedience) and the content of the chapter itself (i.e. life in community). However, this disconnect does not ultimately harm Chittister's message. It merely shows just how important she considers life in community to be.
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