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In this Very Short Introduction Stephen J. Davis discusses the history of monasticism, from our earliest evidence for it, and the different types that have developed from antiquity to the present day. He considers where monasteries are located, from East Asia to North America, and everywhere in between, and how their settings impact the everyday life and worldview of the monks and nuns who dwell there. Exploring how monastic communities are organized, he also looks at how aspects of life like food, sleep, sex, work, and prayer are regimented.

Brother Lawrence, a 17th century cook and shoe repairman in a monastery in Paris, was known for his peaceful devotion to God. Though not formally educated, his life experiences in war and his humble service in the priory led others to look to him for wise counsel. His words were later collected into this marvelous short audiobook that has inspired Christians for centuries. The Practice of the Presence of God has been of great help to believers such as John Wesley and A.W. Tozer.

We dialogue with some of today's leading spiritual teachers and thinkers on all aspects of the contemplative life, with a special focus on interspirituality and new monasticism. Amid continuing changes to our spiritual and religious landscape, we explore the tenets of living a life dedicated to spiritual development and truth.

From the late Roman Empire onwards, monasteries and convents were a common sight throughout Europe. But who were monasteries for? What kind of people founded and maintained them? And how did monasticism change over the thousand years or so of the Middle Ages?

The word 'chastity', at first sight, may seem intimidating, something to be dismissed out of hand. It is, however, something very different to celibacy. At a time when religion is in decline in the Western world and when it often seems that the senses have run riot, Erik Varden shows that chastity, the single minded direction of the senses, is a loveable quality and one that affects and beautifies humankind. The terms sexuality and wholeness indicate that to be sexual is to exist in a state of incompleteness longing to be restored.

Written as a practical guide for monastic living, The Rule of St. Benedict covers topics such as charity, integrity, humility, family spirituality, and simplistic living. This timeless work has become a guide for religious communities throughout history, and St. Benedict himself is now widely recognized as the father of Western monasticism.

Drawing on the records of national and regional archives as well as archaeological remains, James Clark explores the little-known lives of the last men and women who lived in England's monasteries before the Reformation. Clark challenges received wisdom, showing that buildings were not immediately demolished and Henry VIII's subjects were so attached to the religious houses that they kept fixtures and fittings as souvenirs. This rich, vivid history brings back into focus the prominent place of abbeys, priories, and friaries in the lives of the English people.

The fear of loneliness causes anguish. It prompts reckless deeds. To this, every age has borne witness. No voice is more insidious than the one that whispers in our ear: ‘You are irredeemably alone, no light will pierce your darkness.’ The fundamental statement of Christianity is to convict that voice of lying. The Christian condition unfolds within the certainty that ultimate reality, the source of all that is, is a personal reality of communion, no metaphysical abstraction.

Ce livre audio est né d'une rencontre : celle du frère Jean-Pierre Schumacher et de Nicolas Ballet.

Si les œuvres du Frère Laurent semblent être restées à peu près inconnues en France, elles ont eu depuis longtemps une très grande circulation en Angleterre. Il en a paru de si nombreuses éditions que ce n'est pas trop de dire que la Pratique de la Présence de Dieu, comme on l'appelle en général, est livre de dévotion presque aussi connu que l'Imitation ou que les Petites Fleurs de Saint François.

Learn about Irish Catholicism, early Christianity, and Eastern religions with Thomas Merton as your teacher. Recorded in March of 1968 at the Abbey of Our Lady of Gethsemani, Celtic Spirituality: The Beginnings of Irish Monasticism investigates the history of Irish monasticism with special attention to St. Patrick.

Written in 516, The Rule of Saint Benedict for monastic living has been soul-inspiring for a countless number of people–not only monks, nuns and priests, but also a considerable number of lay people. It covers matters of doctrine, the structure of the monastery as the House of God, and observance of the Divine Office. The Rule gives a fascinating insight into the standards and behaviour expected of monks in their everyday lives. It remains notable for embodying the concept of a written constitution and influencing the shape of medieval Europe.

On Loving God is first a touching description of God's love for us as a unmistakably demonstrated in the death of his Son. Second, it is a call for us to joyfully respond to God like the child who runs to and embraces her father whose love is sure.