The Monastic Heart: 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life
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- Create Date：2021-10-03 09:51:32
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Joan Chittister
- ISBN：0593239407
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Summary
The activist， nun， and esteemed spiritual voice who has twice appeared on Oprah Winfrey's Super Soul Sunday sounds the call to create a monastery within ourselves--to cultivate wisdom and resilience so that we may join God in the work of renewal， restoration， and justice right where we are。
"Essential reading for anyone wishing to find the compass of their heart and the wellspring from which to live fully。"--Gregory Boyle， founder of Homeboy Industries and New York Times bestselling author of Tattoos on the Heart
"In every beating heart is a silent undercurrent that calls each of us to a place unknown， to the vision of a wiser life， to become what I feel I must be--but cannot name。" So begins Sister Joan Chittister's words on monasticism， offering a way of living and seeing life that brings deep human satisfaction。 Amid the astounding disruptions of normalcy that have unfolded in our world， Sister Joan calls all of us to cultivate the spiritual seeker within， however that may look across our diverse journeys: "We can depend only on the depth of the spiritual well in us。 The well is the only thing that can save us from the fear of our own frailty。"
This book carries the weight and wisdom of the monastic spiritual tradition into the twenty-first century。 Sister Joan leans into Saint Benedict， who， as a young man in the sixth century， sought moral integrity in the face of an empire not by conquering or overpowering the empire but by simply living an ordinary life extraordinarily well。 This same monastic mindset can help us grow in wisdom， equanimity， and strength of soul as we seek restoration and renewal both at home and in the world。
At a time when people around the world are bearing witness to human frailty--and， simultaneously， the endurance of the human spirit--The Monastic Heart invites readers of all walks to welcome this end of certainty and embrace a new beginning of our faith。 Without stepping foot in a monastery， we can become， like those before us， a deeper， freer self， a richer soul--and， as a result， a true monastic， so "that in all things God may be glorified。"
"Essential reading for anyone wishing to find the compass of their heart and the wellspring from which to live fully。"--Gregory Boyle， founder of Homeboy Industries and New York Times bestselling author of Tattoos on the Heart
"In every beating heart is a silent undercurrent that calls each of us to a place unknown， to the vision of a wiser life， to become what I feel I must be--but cannot name。" So begins Sister Joan Chittister's words on monasticism， offering a way of living and seeing life that brings deep human satisfaction。 Amid the astounding disruptions of normalcy that have unfolded in our world， Sister Joan calls all of us to cultivate the spiritual seeker within， however that may look across our diverse journeys: "We can depend only on the depth of the spiritual well in us。 The well is the only thing that can save us from the fear of our own frailty。"
This book carries the weight and wisdom of the monastic spiritual tradition into the twenty-first century。 Sister Joan leans into Saint Benedict， who， as a young man in the sixth century， sought moral integrity in the face of an empire not by conquering or overpowering the empire but by simply living an ordinary life extraordinarily well。 This same monastic mindset can help us grow in wisdom， equanimity， and strength of soul as we seek restoration and renewal both at home and in the world。
At a time when people around the world are bearing witness to human frailty--and， simultaneously， the endurance of the human spirit--The Monastic Heart invites readers of all walks to welcome this end of certainty and embrace a new beginning of our faith。 Without stepping foot in a monastery， we can become， like those before us， a deeper， freer self， a richer soul--and， as a result， a true monastic， so "that in all things God may be glorified。"
Reviews
Ian
，
This surprised me with its depth and relevance to all believers。 50 different practices highlighted by Benedict's Rule of Life and followed by the monastics of that order。 However， Chittister encourages all of us to adopt these practices and in so doing see oneself as monastic in one's ideologies in order to live a deeper walk with Jesus。I came to this book not sure whether I would find these practices as relevant and desirable but soon discovered that its in these practices that we can both gro This surprised me with its depth and relevance to all believers。 50 different practices highlighted by Benedict's Rule of Life and followed by the monastics of that order。 However， Chittister encourages all of us to adopt these practices and in so doing see oneself as monastic in one's ideologies in order to live a deeper walk with Jesus。I came to this book not sure whether I would find these practices as relevant and desirable but soon discovered that its in these practices that we can both grow deeper in love with Jesus but also live a life of embracing the communities in which with walk with love， compassion and grace。Each practice is a mini-essay of three to four pages comprising two sections: an outline of the practice as interpreted from Benedict's words and then a second section on thoughts on how to integrate the practice in one's life。 I read the book from cover to cover， however， I suspect many people will choose particular practices to read first， however， don't be surprised if some of those one doesn't gravitate towards are as relevant and impactful as the others。I think the lasting impression I have is how the monastic life its more about a balance of both individual practices like solitude and silence and community engagement with the same humility and surrender。 We can only be truly formed by Jesus with a healthy balance of both。 Chittister repeatedly highlighted the community impact in the majority of practices。I suspect this will become a useful reference book moving forward。I was fortunate to receive an early ebook copy from the publisher via NetGalley with no expectation of a favourable review。 。。。more
Karren Hodgkins
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Five stars are just not enough stars for this book。 It is just the right message for me， at the right time。 I am sure there will be many others who feel the same way about it。 I just love the way the author digs into these， "50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life"。 Encouraged by a friend， who she describes as her muse， the author achieves the goal of， " turning monastic language into language people can understand in their own lives。" I am very grateful that while it took 25 Five stars are just not enough stars for this book。 It is just the right message for me， at the right time。 I am sure there will be many others who feel the same way about it。 I just love the way the author digs into these， "50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life"。 Encouraged by a friend， who she describes as her muse， the author achieves the goal of， " turning monastic language into language people can understand in their own lives。" I am very grateful that while it took 25 years to come to fruition， I have had the privilege of reading it。There are just too many words of wisdom for such a small space， I have highlighted so many in my copy that I think I may just as well have coloured the entire text :）Some partial thoughts， "。。。 Solitude saves you from 。。。"， "Willingness is no substitute for preparation。。。"， "Monasticism is a call to develop the best of ourselves。。。 "， "God the Creator trusts you。。。"， and， "What we give time to creates us。。"There is much， much more to this incredible book。 I do hope this short review encourages you to engage with it。 You won't be sorry。With thanks to #Netgalley， the publisher Convergent Books， and the author for my advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Mechthild
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Toward a mature spiritual lifeAuthor of more than fifty books and benedictine sister Joan Chittister presents her book "The Monastic Heart。 50 Simple Practices for a contemplative and Fulfilling Life" which was published by Random House – Convergent Books。 The fifty chapters of the book present fifty simple practices which are components of the monastic life。 It is based on the benedictine monasticism not on another monasticism， e。g。， the Buddhist one。 Every chapter starts with an explanation of Toward a mature spiritual lifeAuthor of more than fifty books and benedictine sister Joan Chittister presents her book "The Monastic Heart。 50 Simple Practices for a contemplative and Fulfilling Life" which was published by Random House – Convergent Books。 The fifty chapters of the book present fifty simple practices which are components of the monastic life。 It is based on the benedictine monasticism not on another monasticism， e。g。， the Buddhist one。 Every chapter starts with an explanation of the topic， e。g。， chapter 33 "Chant: On the Sound of Angels - Chant is a monastic prayer form that either recites or sings simple verses of psalms and prayers with rhythm， reiteration of ideas， and fluid musical tones。 It ranges from simple psalm tones called plain chant to complex polyphonic Gregorian chant。" Monasticism for her is "the single-hearted search for what matters in life"。In every chapter Chittister gives an introduction to the topic and then shows the readers how the practice can be integrated in the everyday life。 The goal of her book is to invite the readers to reflection。 In the introduction she states: "To live a mature spiritual life requires that we choose the values that will ground our hearts， stretch our vision， and give new energy to our hopes。。。" after she stated earlier already: "We need a way of living life and seeing life that brings more human entirety than it does popular acclaim。 We need soul。 It is those things this book seeks to explore， to test， to offer for consideration as we grow from stage to stage， from emptiness to wholeness。"I valued this book and the fact that one does not have to read it from beginning to end but also can choose the practice that is appealing at a certain moment。 I recommend this book to readers who are interested in integrating some or all of these simple practices into their lives， who want to cultivate wisdom and resilience。 The only thing I was missing in the ACR was footnotes or endnotes for reference and for those readers who want to study the topic in more depth。 Maybe they will be included in the final copy。The complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley free of charge。 I was under no obligation to offer a positive review。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。#TheMonasticHeartt#NetGalley 。。。more
Kristjan
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This book has 50 chapters; one for each monastic practice。 The chapter title and subtitle provide a brief hint on the topic … such as Bells （Remembering）， Hospitality， Silence， Cloister， Community， Solitude （you can see how some of these are related if not repetitive）。 A short summary （aka thesis statement） follows the title， then there is a reflection on the topic within the Benedictine monastic life/history and that is followed by a section called "Integrating the Practice" （how you and I can This book has 50 chapters; one for each monastic practice。 The chapter title and subtitle provide a brief hint on the topic … such as Bells （Remembering）， Hospitality， Silence， Cloister， Community， Solitude （you can see how some of these are related if not repetitive）。 A short summary （aka thesis statement） follows the title， then there is a reflection on the topic within the Benedictine monastic life/history and that is followed by a section called "Integrating the Practice" （how you and I can incorporation this practice in our more secular life。 The chapter ends with a quick quote that is designed to restate the core concept of the practice。 For such as ambitious work， it is fairly well put together and it is an easy read … perhaps not in one sitting though。 At times it seems to be covering the same ground， just from a different view point。 At other times， it seems the author tries too hard to connect the monastic practice to the secular life and I had trouble connecting to that。 Regardless， each chapter dose provide the reader with things to contemplate on and maybe come up with their own way of getting to the underlying concept of each practice … the summary of which would be to create your own community and sacred spaces where you can find and nurture a relationship with a loving God， and with a broken world。Although it was very interesting， it ultimately was not quite what I was looking for I was given this free advance reader copy （ARC） ebook at my request and have voluntarily left this review。#TheMonasticHeart #NetGalley。 。。。more
Kelly Hodgkins
，
“The Monastic Heart”， by Joan Chittister， is written with the pandemic and all the recent global trauma in mind。 As such， it opens with a questions “Where do we go now as individuals to find our way out of the shadows and toward a new light？”。 From there， each chapter unpacks just one element of monastic life， it’s origins and purpose as well as how to apply it to modern life。 Joan writes “Monasticism is the single-hearted search for what matters in life。” and this is theme woven consistently th “The Monastic Heart”， by Joan Chittister， is written with the pandemic and all the recent global trauma in mind。 As such， it opens with a questions “Where do we go now as individuals to find our way out of the shadows and toward a new light？”。 From there， each chapter unpacks just one element of monastic life， it’s origins and purpose as well as how to apply it to modern life。 Joan writes “Monasticism is the single-hearted search for what matters in life。” and this is theme woven consistently throughout。Ladened with insights， I found it best to digest no more than a chapter a night and， on occasion， to come back and reflect on the previous day’s reading。 It is a book upon one needs to meditate in order to appreciate all it offers。“Community is the commitment to carry others through their periods of darkness as they carry you through yours。” - “The Monastic Heart” by Joan ChittisterIt is a book of hope written from the perspective of someone who has endured much， loved and encouraged many and is full of wisdom。 I thoroughly enjoyed it， it is a five out of five on the enJOYment scale and highly recommended。I received a complimentary copy of the book from Convergent Books through NetGalley。 The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Peter Ackerman
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Sister Joan Chittister provides another work through her vocation as a Benedictine Nun， that allows the reader to discover concepts about the Order， the history behind them， and how to apply them into a manner of living spiritually today。 What I love most about Chittister's books are how they invite the reader into a world that is simultaneously present， and unknown。 This is the world of God's Kingdom， that through spirituality can be glimpsed and seen。 As she takes various subjects and presents Sister Joan Chittister provides another work through her vocation as a Benedictine Nun， that allows the reader to discover concepts about the Order， the history behind them， and how to apply them into a manner of living spiritually today。 What I love most about Chittister's books are how they invite the reader into a world that is simultaneously present， and unknown。 This is the world of God's Kingdom， that through spirituality can be glimpsed and seen。 As she takes various subjects and presents them in three parts to the reader I found the historical most fascinating， and enjoyed the biographical aspects - how these affect her life as a nun。 Almost as good， but I feel a little forced at times were taking these topics and applying them to today。 Some of them fit well， and others appear to be a bit of a stretch by the author， but in her defense， when one is reading about theological concepts that stretching gives one pause and a reason to check back to the concept at another time。 Wonderfully written， I enjoyed this work by reading as few as one short chapter a day， as a part of my daily spiritual exercises， while sometimes reading three， depending on how the Spirit moved me。 Whether you want to read this through， or piecemeal as I did， I invite you to enjoy a trip through Chittister's lens where readers can enjoy how to witness， and bring the spiritual realm to the surface of our lives today。 。。。more
Trish Ryan
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This is a beautiful， demanding book about applying the Rule of St。 Benedict here in our tumultuous everyday lives。 The writing is crisp， clear， and not for the faint of heart。 An excellent choice for anyone who feels like their life is not spiritually demanding enough and who would appreciate the challenge of structure to change that。Thank you to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book。
Henk-Jan van der Klis
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Even if you don't want to become a nun or monk yourself， The Rule of Saint Benedict， a book of precepts written in 516 by Benedict of Nursia （c。 AD 480–550） for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot， contains useful advice to live closely with God and your community。 The activist and nun Joan Chittister reflects in The Monastic Heart: 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life on habits， rhythms， ceremonies， rituals， and life-changing practices。 She not only bo Even if you don't want to become a nun or monk yourself， The Rule of Saint Benedict， a book of precepts written in 516 by Benedict of Nursia （c。 AD 480–550） for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot， contains useful advice to live closely with God and your community。 The activist and nun Joan Chittister reflects in The Monastic Heart: 50 Simple Practices for a Contemplative and Fulfilling Life on habits， rhythms， ceremonies， rituals， and life-changing practices。 She not only borrows from The Rule of Saint Benedict and the Bible， but also from the other mainstream religions that have a monastic order or fraction。Bells to remember you about the daily patterns， hospitality， and humility up to singing praise and communal prayer。 The author sheds a light on burning candles and silence， contemplation and study， staying away from worldly temptations yet serving the community around， finding inner peace， and keeping your heart pure。 Fifty chapters with a short description of the Benedictine sources， verses from holy books， putting the rule in practice， and a twist or two to keep it as lightweight as possible。Plenty of food for thought， personal reflection， and deepening your spiritual life。 Go with God！ 。。。more
Susie Stangland
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