Book Review: The Rule of St. Benedict, by Kardong


The godliness of living a Gospel life when it comes to The Rule of St. Benedict, the nature of the author’s intentions and set of mind, the understandings of The Rule itself, are a few of the rewards one gets from Terrence G. Kardong’s, “Benedict’s Rule: A Translation and Commentary.” One thesis of Father Kardong’s is, “…the Rule teaches a dynamic spirituality.” A book for those interested in living a Gospel life, some areas touched upon by this book include, “progress and growth” in the religious and spiritual life, what’s referred to as ongoing conversion in the life of faith, and humility.

The book suggests looking towards continued reading of “…the teaching of the Bible and Fathers.” This last a recommendation of the Rule, and the book “Benedict’s Rule” an endorsement and recommendation of St. Benedict’s little book for beginners.

A reader interested in St. Benedict’s Rule will find this 600 plus page work, published by The Liturgical Press a scholarly work. It can be used as a text for reading, as in study, or as a reference work (so I think). The book speaks of St. Benedict’s sense of moderation, and his humility, an earmark of the book about the Rule itself, and a hallmark of the author who is a monk and priest.

Father Kardong writes at the very beginning of the book in a dedication that the work is, “To my brothers of Assumption Abbey who taught me how to be a monk and who freed me for the work of writing this commentary on the Rule of Benedict.” This is a book for monks in the monastery, and also for lay people and Oblates of St. Benedict. This is a book for church goers. This is a book for people who practice the work of God, the daily office.

One needs to have patience and perseverance to read it. One needs to take this book as it comes, not hurry it along, and in many places reread both the Rule as translated by Father Kardong, and his commentary. A retired Episcopal priest, who used to give retreats for the laity introducing The Rule of St. Benedict, suggested that I read the book without a sense of time or looking towards the end of it. He thought the work a book to be savored.

Father Kardong has many good thoughts and suggestions; certainly his commentary is beneficial for the interested reader. That is not a statement too obvious to be made, for this is a worthy book by a wise and educated monk.

I will find a good quote from Terrence G. Kardong’s writings, but first this description of the book from the preface by Father Kardong says he has produced “…a double-deck commentary with detailed philological material in notes and discursive material in the overviews.” This is his interpretation of the Rule. He notes that much is experiential. For me, this added merit to the book. His commentary is part of his life experience and work. An attribute that adds to the authenticity and authority of, “The Rule: A Translation and Commentary.”

The famous words of the Rule begin, “Listen, O my son, to the teachings of your master, and turn to them with the ear of your heart.” After all, the Rule is a religious book, and religion is for the heart. These words for the heart have been around 1,500 years. What is meant by these few words of the Rule is made commentary in another quotation: “Let us open our eyes…is a possible allusion to the Transfiguration, where the drowsy disciples are startled by the shining forth of Christ, and instructed by the voice from heaven (Luke 9:32).”

At a preached retreat in Big Sur, California USA, at Immaculate Heart Hermitage, Brother Bede explained that the Rule is a holy book, an illuminated work that keeps on giving, like the Bible. I remembered his instruction when approaching “Benedict’s Rule” and considered that the writer Father Kardong also approached it as such. This itself is an important point, for the work presented is exemplary.

In his commentary on the last part of the Rule, he writes, “…that observance of the Rule [Biblical theme of the Rule] itself is not enough; the Rule, like the Law, is to be ‘fulfilled.’” Though many believe the Rule is a way to perfection, and asks for that perfection, a serious consideration is that the Rule is also a book of love. Kardong believes it is mainly a book about love.

A major theme of the last chapter, love is described in the commentary: “…for the love that is preached in the penultimate chapter is essentially communal and public…selfless love for the other is a better way to end the Rule than the theme of ‘perfection.’”

It is the love in community; love for and of one another, the love that God offers and gives, that is central to living the Rule of St. Benedict. This alone is worth the price of admission. For as the monastery is a school for living, so the Rule offers a school for living the Gospel in ongoing conversion in one’s life. “The Rule of St. Benedict” is a book inspired by the Gospel and written by a great holy man, Benedict of Nursia (St. Benedict).

--Peter Menkin, Easter 2007


This review appears on the website Amazon.com.

Poem of praise of Prophets...

For some years I have worked at reading The Bible, which means the Old Testament. To aid me in my Bible reading, I've sought out means to hear the Bible read aloud--on tape. Usually, I listen to these tapes in the car. I have a Dove Audio reading of The New Testament (complete), with no music, by Gregory Peck. As you could expect, this is a distinctive recording, and his voice is wonderful (so strong and elegant).

Every word seems understandable. Though this isn't the Bible, per se, I also have a recording, again done by Dove Audio, of Michael York reading the complete text of the Psalms. No music, which is how I like it. This is a more hard to get series of tapes, and searches for another copy have come up unsuccessful. I understand Dove Audio was sold. Too bad.

I started out this exercise of hearing The Bible with a CD set offering excerpts of the Old Testament. The title reads, "Laurence Olivier in a Dramatic Performance Of The Bible, Readings from The Old Testament With Music From The Holy Land. It is enough to take ones breath away. The six disc set comes with a booklet, offering the text to read along when listening. By FCM Productions, London, I haven't the website so can't offer the link here. The recordings were produced by Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. It is a thrilling production.

The second set of readings, the complete Bible (New and Old Testament) was the standard and popular Alexander Scourby reading. Done straight; no music. This recording includes the Psalms (of course), and I recommend it highly because it is hard to come by a collection of the books of The Old Testament read aloud in their completeness. I finally did find another offering, and like the others this is also The King James Version. Here are the stars who read: Edward Herrmann, Stephanie Beacham, Juliet Mills, Theodore Bikel, Roger Rees, Roscoe Lee Browne, John Rubinstein, Christopher Cazenove, David Warner, Stephen Collins, Alfre Woodard, Julie Harris, Michael York. This is a more interpretative reading, the in the dramatic sense, than Alexander Scourby's. Remember, straightforward though interpretative, Scourby's reading is less a performance than the one just mentioned, and includes the New Testament. The box says these audio tapes are "unabridged" and I think they are that. The title is "The Bible: Old Testament, King James Version", and it is by Dove Audio consisting of 52 cassettes. New Star Media distributes the set out of Los Angeles, California (USA).

I have been rereading Isaiah with a friend, who is about 85 and in a rest home. This is her first time through Isaiah and I tell you this both as a segue to my poem about reading Isaiah and the Prophets (a praise), and to say I have been influenced in my own readings in Church as a Lector by the recordings that I have heard. This poem was written in 2001, though not as old as the other poems posted so far, I wanted to share it as a statement indicating my love of the text of The Bible, and my efforts to continue to read Isaiah, whom I like so much. I won't say his is my favorite, for I have not settled on a favorite Prophet. The poem:


Prophets, Gospels: comfort, love mysterious ours...(2001)
by Peter Menkin -- Dec 23, 2005

I read
the books of the Prophets,
Isaiah the most recent: searching
with him the presence
and love God
in faithfulness offers generation
by generation.

The reason to know,
He seeks and searchesthe hearts
of men and women, whom
His everlasting
love comes to in self giving;
a grace

unearned changing me and all of us
in a cosmos of ways of calming
comfort
love mysterious ours.
Isaiah
you speak to us ever again,
prophet,
man of God, may I come
to know you and the others who

enrich the Gospels,
lifegiving word
that is the wisdom of time,
and beyond. Be with me transforming
and fertile
manifestation of man and God.
Center, eternal moments
granted the living.