ABSTRACT
Written in the sixth century for the monastery Benedict established in Monte Cassino shortly before his death, the Rule has endured as a living document for almost fifteen hundred years. Today the Rule guides the spiritual lives of Benedictine monks and nuns, as well as many other Christian and non-Christian seekers. In a world where the trends of today are outmoded before tomorrow dawns, how has this brief document held the attention of so many for so long? Perhaps the answer lies in the nature and genre of the Rule itself. Not so much a document to live by as a text to live through, the Rule deals with
the mundane details of human days: what and with whom one eats; how much and when one prays; how and for what one works; where and why one sleeps. It also explores honestly the details of everyday human emotions: joys, fears, virtuous motivations, tendencies toward control, rank, privilege, and power. In all this, the Rule does not accuse or condemn but acknowledges human gifts and limitations, and the need for both discipline and freedom in the journey toward God. As Benedict says: “we intend to establish a school for the Lord’s service . . . we hope to set down nothing harsh, nothing burdensome. The good of all concerned, however, may prompt us to a little strictness in order to amend faults and safeguard love” (Prologue 45-7).
