Cherish Christ Above All: The Bible in the Rule of Benedict

Rating:
Summary: ROOT OF THE RULE
Review: Father Demetrius Dunn writes a gentle, scholarly understanding of the Rule of St. Benedict through the prism of its Scriptural roots. Is Benedictine spirituality inherently biblical, or is the bible used merely as supporting text? he asks. Not surprisingly, he finds Benedictine spirituality's heart lies in Scripture. Father Dunn spins out his thesis in lovingly crafted discussions of trust, compassion, discipline, community prayer and private prayer--all centered around Christ.

When I heard Father Dunn preach a sermon on the gospel story of the feeding of 5,000 (Matt 15:29-37), he stressed that most of us are not called to martyrdom or greatness, but to be a little "better". This message is repeated throughout Cherist Christ, findings its home in the Rule and Scripture. "Embracing one's real life in honesty and humility is a pre-condition for the faith that gives access to the saving events of God in human history", he writes (page 13). And while I may wish his writing style was less erudite, his message and scholarship are worth the reader's effort.