Books on monasticism

[TomUK]

I'm quite interested in various forms of monasticism but am finding it quite difficult to find any good reading on it. I was hoping that some of you good folks here had any good book recommendations for me.

Essentially i'm looking for:
An overview of the various monastic orders, the traditions and history etc.
A take on monastic spirituality and perhaps a guide to include elements of monasticism into daily life.

Any ideas?

[AngCath]

Rule of St. Benedict - Benedictine (obviously ;))
Spiritual Exercises - Ignatius Loyola (Jesuit)
Orthodox Prayer Life - Matthew the Poor (Coptic Orthodox)
Anything by Ss. Teresa of Avila, Therese of Liseaux, or John of the Cross. Not necessarily about monasticism per se, but all reflect a Carmelite spirituality.
Life of St. Anthony - Athanasius (a good look at desert monasticism)
Intoxicated with God - Macarius the Egyptian (desert monasticism)

I'd also like to recommend Where God Happens by ABC Rowan Williams which is about incorporating the spirituality of the desert fathers into modern life.

[karen freeinchristman]

Seeking God by Esther de Waal is a good book about incorporating Benedictine rules into our ordinary lives.

[Fish and Bread]

I enjoyed "The Monks of Mt. Athos: A Western Monk's Spiritual Journey on Eastern Holy Ground" by M. Basil Pennington, OCSO (Yes, I had to retrieve the book from my bookshelf to remember the subtitle, author, and the author's designation :)). It isn't really a history, though, more a diary of this Roman Catholic priest (who is also a monk) visiting the Eastern Orthodox monasteries and skeets on Mt. Athos detailing his experiences and some of the things he learned while there, and what it's like for those who live there. Still, I learned a lot from it, it was really an incredible book. The sheer ancientness of some of the monestaries and the traditions on the holy mountain are incredible.

[pmcleanj]

You would probably find Karen Armstrong's "The Spiral Staircase" an interesting read, being a modern and intimate view of women's monasticism as it was lived and as it changed, during the last century; as experienced from the inside by someone who now understands it from the outside.

It certainly is NOT a promotor of monasticism, nor a deep theological meditation on monasticism. But neither is it a condemnation of monasticism, however sharp a criticism it is of how a particular form of monasticism manifested in a particular time among a particular order.

[higgs2]

For a practical guide on how to integrate benedictine spirituality into your life, I highly recommend: http://www.amazon.com/St-Benedicts-Toolbox-Everyday-Benedictine/dp/081922152X/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-6444188-3534425?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1192624044&sr=1-1

It is really great, has exercises you can try, explains a lot of the concepts. I highly recommend this.

[Aymn27]

I'm an observer on this order's yahoo group and a sometimes wannabe postulant (I just can't decide if I want to take on the commitment right now) http://companyofjesus.net/cojread.html - this is a copy of the reading list (mostly Franciscan or Benedictine)...

* Francis of Assisi: The Saint; Early Documents, Vol. 1; New City Press, New York, New York.
* Francis of Assisi: The Founder; Early Documents, Vol. 2; New City Press, New York, New York.
* St. Francis of Assisi: A Biography by Omer Englebert; Servant Books, Box 8617, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48107.
* Franciscan Solitude by Andre Cirino, OFM and Josef Raischl; Franciscan Institute Publications, St. Bonaventure University, St. Bonaventure, New York.
* The Threefold Way of Saint Francis by Murray Bodo, OFM; Paulist Press, 997 Macarthur Blvd., Mahwah, New Jersey 07430. In conjunction with the first text here also read: "The Lessons of Saint Francis" by John Michael Talbot with Steve Rabey; A Dutton Book - Penguin Putnam, Inc., New York, New York.
* The Little Flowers of St. Francis, translated by Raphael Brown.
* Francis: The Journey and the Dream by Murray Bodo. Short novel-like sketches of Francis' life.
* Francis of Assisi: A Revolutionary Life by Adrian House. A 'secular', historical, but very well-written account of his life.
* God's Fool: The Life and Times of Francis of Assisi by Julian Green. A full-length, fully fleshed-out rendering of the saint's life.
* Salvation: Scenes from the Life of St. Francis by Valerie Martin. Explores his life based on Italian frescoes.
* Praying in the Presence of Our Lord: Prayers for Eucharistic Adoration by Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.; Our Sunday Visitor Publishing Division, Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, Indiana 46750. In conjunction with the first text here also read: Day by Day with the Followers of Francis & Clare, by Pat McCloskey, OFM; Foreword by Murray Bodo, OFM; St. Anthony Messenger Press, Cincinnati, Ohio.
* The Rule of Saint Benedict by Anthony C. Meisel and M. L. del Mastro; Doubleday, NY, NY.
* The Rule of Benedict: Insights for the Ages by Joan Chittister; Crossroad, NY, NY.
* Letters to My Brothers and Sisters by Denis Huerre; The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.
* No Moment Too Small by Norvene Vest; Cowley Publications, Boston, MA.
* Monte Oliveto Maggiore - Contact to order: Monte Oliveto Maggiore, 53020 CHIUSURE (Siena); Tel. +39.0577.70.70.61 - C.C.P. 11952538.
* Spirituality for Everyday Living by Brian C. Taylor; The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.
* A Monastic Year: Reflections from a Monastery by Brother Victor-Antoine D'Avila-Latourrette; Taylor Publishing Company, Dallas, Texas.
Christian Basics by John Stott, Baker Book House, Grand Rpaids, Michigan. (This reading is strongly suggested for those who may have been away from the Church for a bit and as a good refresher for the rest of us!)
Centering Prayer: Renewing an Ancient Christian Prayer Form by M. Basil Pennington, O.C.S.O.; Image Books Doubleday, New York, New York.
Lectio Divina: Renewing the Ancient Practice of Praying the Scriptures by M. Basil Pennington, OCSO; The Crossroad Publishing Company, New York, New York.
Praying by Hand: Rediscovering the Rosary as a Way of Prayer by M. Basil Pennington, OCSO; Harper San Francisco.
Contemplative Prayer by Thomas Merton; Image Books - Doubleday; New York, New York.
Healing as a Parish Ministry: Mending Body, Mind and Spirit by Leo Thomas, O.P. and Jan Alkrie; Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana.
Spiritual Direction & Meditation by Thomas Merton; The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota.
The Crucified God by Jurgen Moltmann; Fortress Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Handbook for Spiritual Directors by Julie M. Douglas; Paulist Press, New York/Mahwah, New Jersey.
The following two books are a good read for anyone interested in other insights to monastic living or eremitical living:
Basic Principles of Monastic Spirituality by Thomas Merton; Templegate Publishers, Springfield, Illinois.
Living Together Alone: The New American Monasticism by Charles A. Fracchia;Harper & Row, San Francisco, CA. (This last book may be out of print as it was published in 1979.)

[norbie]

We here in Australia at the moment are blessed that our National broadcaster ABC shows us Sunday night "The Abbey". It's about 5 women chosen from 1000 Australian women to live for 33 days in the Abbey, the same way as the nuns. This is a Benedictine Monastery and this nuns are up from 4am to 9pm, praying and hard working. I write this because it will come to England (BBC and ABC exchange movies) and oversee.
You can get more info if you are interested in Monastery life at
http://www.abc.net.au/tv/theabbey/

It's maybe supplementary to a book as it has some beautiful photos and a short movie in.

[Secundulus]

I highly recommend this book:

Christian Proficiency
By Martin Thornton. Cowley Publications. Pp. 201. ISBN 093638462X

A review is on this page: http://fullhomelydivinity.org/spirituality.htm

excerpt:
Christian Proficiency is a singularly Anglican approach to the spiritual life. The essentials of the system, as Thornton describes it, are found in the Book of Common Prayer, in the threefold practice of Eucharist, Daily Office, and private prayer. He provides a theological rationale and traces his understanding of this system back to its theological roots and the experience and teaching of the great spiritual writers of the Church, particularly those who figure in the development of English spirituality. From the beginning, he makes it clear that the spiritual life is the life not of individual Christians but of the Body of Christ, of which each of us is a member, dependent upon and responsible to the whole. The purpose of this work is not merely the salvation of the individual, but the incorporation of the whole world into Christ. The accomplishment of so great a task is not dependent upon us alone, but it does require us to be efficient.