Monk Habits for Everyday People: Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants

by Dennis Okholm

In their zeal for reform, early Protestant leaders tended to throw out Saint Benedict with the holy water. That is a mistake, writes Dennis Okholm, in Monk Habits for Everyday People . While on retreat in a Benedictine abbey, the author, a professor who was raised as a Pentecostal and a Baptist, observed how the meditative and ordered life of a monk lifted Jesus' teachings off the printed page and put them into daily practice. Vital aspects of devotion, humility, obedience, hospitality, and evangelism took on new clarity and meaning. Paralleling that experience, Okholm guides the reader on a focused and instructive journey that can revitalize the devotional life of any Christian who wants to slow down and dig deeper.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion, Christian, Christianity, Theology, Christian Living

144 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 2007

About the author

Dennis Okholm (PhD, Princeton Theological Seminary), a Benedictine oblate, speaks frequently in church and youth group settings and serves as assistant pastor at Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Costa Mesa, California. He is also professor of theology at Azusa Pacific University and adjunct professor at Fuller Theological Seminary. Okholm is the author or editor of many books, including Monk Habits for Everyday People.

Reviews

[Bob Price · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am not a monk.

I have never been a monk.

I don't think I will ever be a monk.

But I like the TV show Monk.

Monks get a very bad rap in modern culture. We tend to think of them as silent people (except when they are chanting) who are sexually repressed and of no earthly good because they are too busy pursuing the spiritual life.

Not so! argues Dennis Okholm in his book Monk Habits for Everyday People. The spiritual life of the monks is exactly what makes them so practical for today's spiritual ills.

Okholm, a Presbyterian minister and University Professor spent a great deal of time learning about the Benedictine tradition both by reading and spending times in monasteries. In this little book he offers the wisdom he has learned from them for Protestants.

He argues that the ways of the Benedictines are really nothing more than a way of discipleship, something that every Christian can and should embrace. He is very clear that he is not advocating that all people can or should become monks, but that we can and should learn how to follow Christ by watching and reading the Benedictines follow Christ.

Each topic is dedicated to a different practice. Okholm traces the practice to the Rule of St. Benedict and shows how it has been applied over the years and how in fact it can be practiced by a modern, non-monkish Christian.

The book does give a great deal to think about in terms of one's life and practice. It is a helpful introduction to Benedictine spirituality and one that should be read by anybody who wants to learn from this tradition.

It is important to remember that Benedictine spirituality is meant as a way to shape the heart and the practice of the individual Christian and not as a proscribed way for everybody to live the Christian life.

Okholm has included helpful additions to the book, such as an annotated bibliography and a sample Benedictine 'schedule'.

I highly recommend this book for pastors and Christians who want to learn about discipleship.

Grade: A-

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

The real attraction of Benedictine spirituality is its ordinariness. Routine. Community. Humility. Scripture. Psalms. Nothing splashy or innovative. Just the slow, steady growth in Christ in fellowship with other sinners gathered around the Word, prayer, and work. This book is a good foray into the Benedictine world.

[C.S. Wachter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good basic information in an easy to read format. I found the underlying spirituality refreshing. Especially in our often-dark world today, it is good to remember the faith and traditions of those who have experienced similar times of darkness. There is much we can learn from their habits. Especially if you know little to nothing about Benedict and his Rule, this little book is a good place to start.

[Karen L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you, like me did not know much about Benedictine spirituality and would like a short book on it, then this is the book for you. It wasn't anything earth shaking. It simply used the authors story of his own journey with some historic information throughout, to give you an intro sort of course into the Rule of Benedict. There was much emphasis on living in community whether it be with our family or others, so as to be able to live out the Biblical mandate, "to love one another." I liked that he included some practical ways to live out this rule of life at the end of the book. Overall, I found the book to be very encouraging.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author writes from a Calvinist perspective concerning monasticism for a Protestant audience. He does a good job of describing the balance between work, prayer , study, and recreation in the Rule of St. Benedict. He also relates poverty, chastity, stability, and conversatio moralis in an understandable, popular way. His chapter on possible objections to monasticism from a Protestant view is well-thought, especially from a Calvinist perspective. There are also quotes from Luther that, along with Calvin, attempt to be ameliorated by demonstrating how Benedictines have reformed themselves through the years. A good introduction to Benedictine ways for uninitiated Protestants.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short introduction to Benedictine spirituality by protestant a Presbyterian minister.
I found this quite helpful in many ways, not because of any sympathy for the monastic way as such, but because some of the monastic disciplines that challenge our over busy, urban, distracted, way of living.
Here is a great he was a great example that I think is a genuine challenge monkey respect. I take the example of silence and quietness and the ability to develop a rich interior life. This is from Anthony bloom,
"Settle down in your room at a moment when you have nothing else to do. Say "I am I am now with myself", and just sit with yourself. After an amazingly short time he will most likely feel bored. This teaches us one there are useful thing. It gives us insight into the fact that if after 10 minutes of being alone with ourselves we feel like that, it is no wonder that others should feel equally bored! why is this so? It is so because we have so little to offer to our own selves as food for thought, for emotion and for life. If you watch your life carefully you will discover quite soon that we hardly ever live from within outwards; instead we respond to incitement, to excitement. In other words, we live by reflection, by reaction... We are completely empty, we do not act from within ourselves but except as our life a life which is actually fed in from outside; we are used to things happening which compel us to do other things. How seldom can we live simply by means of the depth of the richness we assume that there is within themselves."

[Adam Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

A captivating little book on the principles of Monastic life and how they might be applied to everyday life by everyday people. Okholm is a protestant, and as such is aware of the concerns protestants have had with monasticism (he devotes the final chapter to this subject), and so he is at pains to show that monastic life has much to offer us. Among the many insights to be gleaned from the book is his claim that monastic life, or the life of connected and authentic Christian community, is not a utopian dream but is in fact more "real life" than the commodified and insulated lives of Western consumerism. What Christians call the "mountaintop" experience when they go on spiritual retreats is what Jesus, the New Testament, and the Monastics believe are for every day, all the time. We go up to the mountaintop expecting to find the extraordinary, which cannot be maintained in the "real world," but in fact simply come into contact with what God hopes and wants us to experience as ordinary life. I really recommend working through this short book, and it would make for a great sunday school book to work through as well.

[M. Todd Webster · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been a few years since I went looking for books on the Rule of St. Benedict and Benedictine spirituality. While Esther De Waal's classic Seeking God is still in print (and I am currently re-reading it), I think Dennis Okholm's Monk Habits for Everyday People has become my new first recommendation, the book I would offer someone who knows nothing about St. Benedict or why laypeople, especially Protestant laypeople, would want to hang out with monks. It's clear; it covers the essential themes of Benedict's teaching in a fresh and accessible way; it is directed to a specifically Protestant and even Evangelical audience, with an extensive appendix on the Reformers' critiques of monasticism in their day; and it has an excellent recommended reading list that includes De Waal's book and many others, both popular and more scholarly. I recommend it very highly.

[Gail Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I appreciate Okholm's perspective on Benedict through a protestant lens. His effort responds to the question: Why (or perhaps why not) Benedictine Spirituality for Protestants? My favorite quotes: "Benedictine spirituality is not glamorous. It is extraordinarily ordinary... It is a life of habits that in turn develop virtues and muscles of the soul," His distinction that Benedictines don't join an order but a community parallels family growth.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

I used this as a weekly read, with a chapter to ponder each week. I loved the chapter on Stability, as a standout characteristic of spirituality that we struggle with the 21 C.
There's a little bit of a monastic idealist in me...

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to be able to say that I liked this book, but I'm trying to be more honest lately, and I have to say it was just okay. I think part of my "okay-ness" is due to the fact that I expected a much more "spiritual," "mystical," and maybe even romanticized view of monastic life, which was definitely not what this book gave, even though it was focused on how to apply monastic principles and practices to the "modern" life. Okholm means the Everyday in the title, and he is quite clear in saying that monks--and even he himself, as a Protestant who's part of the leadership of a Benedictine monastery--are everyday people, and that their "work" towards holiness really comes through tasks that are boring, insignificant-seeming, and menial. Not the beautiful, moving picture I had expected, certainly. But a picture that's much closer to real life, making "monk habits" (ha ha...) truly seem accessible, practicable, and in a way, reasonable. Okholm doesn't even try to make himself look better, citing examples throughout the book of different mistakes that he's made, but what's more, writing in a tone that seems very true to himself (a tone that strikes me as somewhat academically priggish, self-important, used to always being right, and overly amused by his own witticisms). That probably could have been polished away by editing, but to leave that in either shows oversight on his/his editor's part, or a sense of courage, honesty, and again, striving to make the reader see that monks are no holier or more special for living in the situation that they do.

Although I didn't love the writing style, I found a lot of the principles both helpful and challenging. I posted some quotes from the chapter on humility, which was interesting because it said that in order to be humble, we need to have a realistic assessment of ourselves, and know both what we are good at (and not treat those talents/compliments about them in an, as he says, "aw shucks" kind of way) and what our position is (that regardless of those talents, we know ourselves and our own failings first-hand, and therefore more reliably than we know the failings of others, so we should never consider ourselves better than them). He said that we should never use humility as an excuse or a justification to "allow" mediocrity or simply bad work in others on the pretense that we don't want to be too haughty by saying something, but should rather confront those failings gently and honestly. I really wished there were more to this section because I felt like there were a lot of pretty original (or at least, new to me) thoughts, and I wanted for myself, even, for them to be fleshed out more fully.

He also talked about stability as a part of monastic life, which was something that I had never thought about, but as a military brat whose mind never quite outgrew the "we've been here three years already, so can we move now?" mindset, I felt taken off-guard by it. His point is that the monks stay with one another long enough (if not for their whole lives) in order to truly know each other and let themselves be known, imperfectness and all, and to work with one another. Before my most recent move, I found myself often being anxious to move away, because I was worried that I would somehow mess things up at my job or at my church, and wanted to leave before what I felt was an impending doom of some sort of disastrous error that would "ruin" things, in a way. I realized from this chapter that I was worried not only about not being able to maintain the "reputation" I had created of doing good work and being kind to others, but I was also insecure or even afraid that people would no longer like me or accept me if I did make a mistake. Okholm was right on that the "temporariness" that moving around often entails has enabled me to live shallowly by keeping others from ever see beyond the image that I am able to maintain for the brief span that I know them. What freedom--and also what help and support, even if it is accompanied by frustration sometimes--stability affords us in allowing our relationships to move beyond that.

I'm not sure I would re-read this, but it was certainly good food for thought.

[Reagan Faith Waggoner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Monk Habits for Everyday People

I am currently fascinated by monastic life as a whole, as well as the vows and lifestyle by which they have historically lived. There is something captivating about the choice to leave behind other pursuits for a quiet and devoted life of Christian fellowship… to prayer, to reading, to working with one’s hands. There is a part of me that no doubt longs for such… for the freedom found in obedience, for a life lived in piety and in devotion to Christ above all else.

Not to say that I wish to truly become a nun or the like: far from it. Even so, I recognize the virtues of such a lifestyle and do wish to better understand their lifestyles for applicability to a more generic one, even amidst the faults and vices of their frameworks. I recognize there is much to point fingers at concerning the negatives of monastic history, and I do not mean to loss over the harsher realities of twisted theology and so forth. But I do wish to appreciate it and learn from it what I am able.

From the beginning of the book, the notions of silence and of listening are so very underscored. I am definitely intrigued and moved by the thoughts concerning meditation and silence, and I am growing in appreciation each day for the necessity of curbing stimuli and listening to Christ above all else, rather than filling every moment with movement and with sound.

I think it is neat how monks have repetitive schedules: the routines of corporate prayer, of diligent study, of memorization and recitation, of the Psalms and of Scripture. I find it neat that they continuously center their lives and clocks on prayer above all else.

“Listen carefully, my son, to the master’s instructions, and attend to them with the ear of your heart. This is advice from a father who loves you; welcome it, and faithfully put it into practice.” (Benedict’s Rule, first words)

Father Guy: “Samuel said, ‘Speak, Lord, for thy servant is listening’; we more often say, ‘Listen, Lord, for thy servant is speaking.’”

That is absolutely incredible, and most certainly profound. We so often want to fill the noise, to speak that God may hear us… but in Scripture, we see that the men and women of old listen, for the Lord himself is speaking.

We see too this notion of stewardship. Of becoming a steward of Christ’s resources, of learning to give all we have up to him. Stewardship is fascinating as a whole, and we see this emphasis on minimalism as well throughout the Benedictine standards.

“The issue becomes more clearly one of stewardship. Language is a gift that can be used thoughtfully or thoughtlessly, humbly or proudly. Someone constantly aware of the presence of God will know when and how to speak.” (Columba Stewart)

“We are always filling our world with noise. Even our Communion serves must be filled with sound. Quietly reflecting on the fact that we are eating the Lord’s body and drinking the Lord’s blood seems too threatening; as soon as we go forward or pass around the elements, a piano or guitar starts up and we cannot even hear ourselves consume Christ.”

“Perhaps it’s not just the silence itself that frightens us. Perhaps we fill our world with noise because we are really afraid to face ourselves.”

Vows to obedience, stability, and conversatio moralis (conversion of life) - implicit within these are chastity and poverty. This is true freedom: found in discipline, found in obedience. After all, freedom comes only with foundation.

“S0 Brother Matthew locked the gate behind me and I was enclosed in the four walls of my new freedom” (Thomas Merton)

“Stay in your cell and your cell will teach you everything” (Rowan Williams)

I love how this author notes the fact that we learn by staying put and growing where we are planted, even when we want most to flee. This of course goes both ways. Abraham wanted only to stay in familiar lands, but God called him away and into the land of promise. Similarly, we see that Ruth traveled from her home with Naomi, and we see that Mary and Joseph traveled from Nazareth. And staying permanently in place and staring only at the floor produces narrowness of mind… But we also see throughout Scripture the vitality of blooming where one is planted and recognizing that it is to this moment that we have been called.

Eight times of prayer per day in the Benedictine order - derived from Psalm 19 - combining the midnight rising in verse 62 and the seven times a day in verse 164. Vigils, lauds, prime, terce, sext, none, vespers, compline. Similar to the idea of eating small portions of a balanced diet throughout the day. They also did not sleep but a few hours at a time, which is interesting. They had one meal a day in winter, two in spring… times of prayer varied as well depending on the season but were set in stone.

“In Genesis 1:28 and 2:15, work is not part of the fallen human’s cursed existence but integral to the created human’s exalted position (ref. Ps. 8:5-8).”

Lectio - reading the bible not for information but for formation. As prayer, rather than as a consumer

We also see that the importance of values and of freedom may be secured not only in fighting for the good of the state but also in forming communities within the private sphere in order to honor and glorify God. It is vital that we rise up and build communities that are reflective of His power, choosing deliberately to share in our lives with one another that we might honor him and choose virtue rather than corruption.

“A crucial turning point in… history occurred when men and women of good will turned aside from the task of shoring up the Roman imperium and ceased to identify the continuation of civility and moral community with the maintenance of that imperium. What they set themselves to achieve instead—often not recognizing fully what they were doing—was the construction of new forms of community within which the moral life could be sustained so that both morality and civility might survive the coming ages of barbarism and darkness… We ought to conclude that for some time now we too have reached that turning point.” (Alaisdair MacIntyre)

John Cassian’s theology behind much of Benedict’s thinking… pits grace not against free will but against laziness and torpor
Unlike Augustine, believed that the fall had not reduced humans to an incapacity to do good but had weakened the will so that there is always a tension between the innate inclination of sinful passions and the pull of spiritual desires. Some accuse the monastery life as putting too much into self-effort surrounding salvation. Grace is taken for granted

Argued that it set up a two-tiered system of Christian commitment and lifestyle / two different sets of codes
Slew of objections to monastic vows, first being surrounding justification
Complained monks were prone to ‘idleness’ - kept from fulfilling duties of Christian ministry

Calvin complained that it establishes a double Christianity that separates Christians. Luther said, “To become a monk (unless one is saved by a miracle) is to become an apostate from faith, to deny Christ, and to become a Jew, and, as Peter prophesied, to return to one’s heathen vomit.” “For they teach justification and salvation by works, and depart from faith.”
Both Luther and Calvin believed that the vows contracted Christian freedom, since to be free from all was to be free for all.

Calvin and Luther both praised a “moderate monasticism” — the kind Augustine described in On the Morals of the Catholic Church. Believed that they should serve the purpose of instruction and monastic study, constituting a “community in aid of piety, whose rule was tempered by the goal of brotherly love.”

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Benedictine spirituality is unfamiliar to Protestants and Catholics alike. For this reason we must equally welcome Dennis Okholm's wonderful book Monk Habits for Everyday People.

As a Protestant pastor and Professor of Theology, Dennis Okholm helps to bridge the gap with excellent historical background. He unreservedly gives reasoning behind why Saint Benedict's rule is vitally important to our modern world.


When I first began to explore the roots of contemporary Benedictine monasticism, it dawned on me that in one sense Benedict belongs to Roman Catholics no more than he does to Protestants. His life preceded the Reformation by a millennium, and the same Protestants who revere and learn from Augustine (b.354) may just as legitimately, and without feelings of betrayal and guilt, appeal to Benedict (b.480).

In Monk Habits for Everyday People Dennis shares stories of his retreats to monasteries. He digs deep into the basic tenants of Benedictine spirituality: Listening, Poverty, Obedience, Humility, Hospitality, Stability, and Balance while giving practical application to all.

If you are at all curious about Benedictine monastic practices I highly recommend this resource. Monk Habits for Everyday People is a great beginning place for anyone interested in learning Benedictine ways. One of my favorite things in this book is the list of simple suggestions that help us begin practicing Benedictine spirituality in our every day lives.

[Jeff Elliott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Best defined as a defense of the rule of St. Benedict and his rules of order. It is sufficient but not particularly remarkable. There are a few moments when some encouraging truth comes through.

Okholm is at his best in chapter 10 when quoting others on what he sees as a defense of monasticism and I see as the weakness of the modern evangelical church:

Jacques Ellul-They are incapable of making a genuine revolution in our civilization because they accept the essential basis of this civilization, and confine themselves to moving along the line of its internal development. Thus, utilizing what this world offers them, they become its slaves, although they think that they are transforming it.

Rene Padilla-“Far from being a factor for the transformation of society, it has become merely another reflection of society and (what is worse) another instrument that society uses to condition people to its materialistic values.”

Alasdair MacIntyre
A crucial turning point in . . . history occurred when men and women of good will turned aside from the task of shoring up the Roman imperium and ceased to identify the continuation of civility and moral community with the maintenance of that imperium. What they set themselves to achieve instead— often not recognizing fully what they were doing— was the construction of new forms of community within which the moral life could be sustained so that both morality and civility might survive the coming ages of barbarism and darkness.

[Stephen Hicks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like I've done my fair share of reading concerning monasticism. I'm not expert of course, but many of the principles of monastic life and the virtues of that lifestyle are familiar to me. That being said this book was an introduction to Benedictine Monasticism and its potential application to the life of the everyday evangelical. Okholm does a nice job laying out the foundation for Benedictine spirituality and pointing out the deep intentionality built into the various actions and decisions. He then tries to give a few examples of what that could look like for the popular Protestant. There were a few nuggets of wisdom that I sat on for awhile, but overall this book presented nothing revelatory. I also found his transition from Benedictine principle to Protestant practice to leave the reader unsatisfied if not completely abstracted.

However, if monasticism is an unfamiliar world then this book could be immensely helpful; especially for the skeptical.

[Adam Shields · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short review: Okholm, an oblate (someone that attempts to live the life of a Benedictine outside the monastery), an Evangelical and a theology professor attempts to bridge the gap between the monastery and the evangelical world. This is a good book on spiritual growth and exactly why spiritual growth is not a quick fix (follow these five steps) type of process. Okholm focuses on 7 virtues that he sees in Benedictine spirituality that he thinks are at the root of their order. A helpful, fairly quick read. But again confirms in my mind that Evangelicals need to pay more attention to Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican writers to really understand what it means to live as a Christian after conversion.

Click through for my full review on my blog at http://bookwi.se/monk-habits-for-ever...

[Emily Schatz · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were things I really liked about this book and things I liked less. I think what I liked most was actually Benedict, and the way Okholm brings his Rule and monasteries to life. He also does a good job of explaining the heart of the Benedictine vows, how they connect with basic Christian teachings or things that Protestants already agree with. My main point of departure is with Okholm's posture towards his own historical situation, and toward the contemporary church. I don't disagree with his assessments of consumerism, megachurches, and the like, but he sounds a bit uppity sometimes.

Overall, warm, realistic, sometimes humorous, helpful, and helpfully challenging.

[Ephrem Arcement · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike other Protestants who have written on Benedictine spirituality, Dennis Okholm's book is written specifically to a Protestant audience (mainly of the evangelical persuasion) relating monasticism's world to specifically Protestant concerns. What is exciting about this book is its potential to serve as an effective ecumenical source for a shared spirituality. Okholm's book not only affirms the gift that monasticism is to the church and world at large but also takes steps in demonstrating how its vital spirituality can be lived by those outside the cloister. Particularly valuable is the historic afterword exploring why the Protestant reformers found monasticism problematic.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The disciplines of monastic spirituality refocus our attention on what is really going on around us, even when we are just flipping burgers. Monastic disciplines plunge us deeper into the reality of everyday life because we go deeper into God's reality."

Okholm defends monastic principles, critiques arguments against monasticism, and suggests that monastic practices (or at least monastic-style practices) can be useful for all Christians, even evangelical Protestants. A thought-provoking and intriguing book.

[Phil · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a re-read for me on the occasion of finding a copy at a decent price. Dennis Okholm writes as a Presbyterian pastor who also is a Benedictine oblate. Okholm'smain aim in this little book is to expose Protestants to Benedictine wisdom and how that wisdom can be applied in our daily lives. Writing very much in the tradition of Kathleen Norris, Okholm writes eloquently and attractively about his experience as a Benedictine oblate. Well worth the read, especially for those trying to apply the monastic wisdom to everyday life.

[Rachel Kopel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was in a Christmas package today and thank goodness I opened it last since I started reading it immediately. Sarah sent it for me to take on my retreat next week to Prince of Peace Abbey and I do need to save some of it to read then. But it so *speaks to my condition*

It was fun to read on retreat at the Abbey. The author could have used a good editor, but I am glad that I read it and enjoyed hearing of his experiences, some of which paralleled mine.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was required reading for a Men's Spirituality retreat for my Certificate in Christian Spiritual Formation course. I found the conversational and humor laced style very easy to read. And Dennis Okholm gave the best introduction to Benedictine spirituality and the rule that I have come across. Whether you are wondering about becoming an Oblate or simply curious about monasticism as a Protestant, this book is an excellent intro!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of those books that I kept putting off reading because I didn't want it to be done. It is very well written, and I love the perspective on Benedictine spirituality for protestants. Okholm did an excellent job of capturing the spirit and beauty of the Benedictine tradition and laying it out in such a way that it would make sense to those who are not familiar with this sort of thing.

[Tim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okholm's book Monk Habits for Everyday People opens the monastic life up to Protestant observation and hopefully edification. A little bit of memoir, but mostly relates the habits of faith, including hospitality and stability, while quoting extensively from monastic and other sources. A gentle and wise book.

[Diana Glyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's rare to find find a book that does so many things so well. It is interesting, personal, and engaging. It is thoughtful and well-written. And it is full to the brim with spiritual insights. Read a bit each day, sip it alongside your morning cup of coffee, savor each insight, and you'll find your life just gets better and better. A delight.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

A contemporary Protestant theologian explains and expresses sincere appreciation for the Rule of Saint Benedict. The characteristics of community living for modern Benedictine nuns and monks also have sound applications in the family or Christian community.

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this pretty quickly, and have since read it part of the way through again. Like the author says (I seem to remember) this is a book that you'll get the most out of by reflecting on the chapter contents in light of your own (Christian) lifestyle and practice.

[R.K. Goff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know if this counts as a hugely life-style-altering book, but I'm giving it five stars anyways. It was delightful to read. It was informative. It was thought provoking. And I will buy it and re-read it over and over.

[Rob Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides excellent resources for spiritual formation. The author provides information and insight into the Benedictine monastic life. This in turn allows those from a protestant evangelical perspective opportunities to adapt the lifestyle of the Benedictines to everyday life.

[Candace Simar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book fascinated me to the very end. As a non-Catholic, I had never before considered I might learn from monastic traditions. You have to read it! Dennis Okholm is a Protestant who affiliates with a Benedictine Monastery--not what you might expect.