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

Description The Rule of Benedict, one of the most influential documents in Western civilization, has its roots planted deeply in the scriptures. As a result, the forms of monastic life and the spirituality it engendered among lay men and women grew out of a loving reading of the bible. In this book Benedictine scholar Demetrius Dumm traces those roots and shows how the Judeo-Christian scriptures shine through the monastic way of life, its attitudes and forms of praying. He points out that the hospitality often associated with the Benedictines begins with the entertainment of God’s presence by quiet, trusting prayer, and he shows that the practice of Christian discipline is intended more for exposing and eliminating illusions than imposing order. Readers of all backgrounds who honor the wealth of the Christian heritage will welcome this wise and stirring book. “With the heart of a poet and the mind of a scholar, Demetrius Dumm has fashioned a lovely work revealing how the Rule of Benedict has been enriched by Benedict’s love of the scriptures. This book will delight not only monastics but all seekers of truth. The growing interest in monastic spirituality makes this an especially timely offering.” —Macrina Wiederkehr, O.S.B., author of The Song of the Seed. Author Father Demetrius Dumm was the author of So We Do Not Lose Heart: Biblical Wisdom for All Our Days; Flowers in the Desert: A Spirituality of the Bible; Cherish Christ Above All: The Bible in the Rule of BenedictCherish Christ Above All: The Bible in the Rule of Benedict; A Mystical Portrait of Jesus: New Perspectives on John’s Gospel; and Praying the Scriptures. He also co-authored, with Father Campion Gavaler, O.S.B., The Sunday Homilies, Saint Vincent Archabbey: Cycle A; The Sunday Homilies, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Cycle B; and The Sunday Homilies, Saint Vincent Archabbey, Cycle C. The books were based on the long-running Sunday Homily column that Father Campion and Father Demetrius co-wrote of the Archabbey website, www.saintvincentarchabbey.org.  Softcover. 162 pages.