Create the Monastery Where You Would Live
When I saw that Jason was requiring us to read a book over 300 years old, I was automatically taken back to Oxford when Dr. Martyn Percy asked our DLGP cohorts to name a significant work over 300 years old that is still in print. Several works were named by us before he revealed one of the books he had in mind, The Rule of St. Benedict. He claimed that this work by a monk in the 6th century was crucial for the Western world when Rome was no longer what it had been and shaped Western civilization more than we might realize. At that moment, I wanted to find a copy of it, especially in Europe, as a meaningful souvenir.
While several of us 
were at Blackwell’s bookstore in Oxford, I was on a mission to find that book, and I eventually did! The book was much shorter than I assumed, and I wasn’t mad about it. I started reading it while there and was quickly hit with just how foreign some of the thinking and behaviors were (more on that later). Although short, I didn’t finish it and got caught up in other books…
Fast-forward to this week’s assignment. I first looked through several books and collections that I had on my shelves at home and then in my office. There it sat on my bottom office shelf…The Rule of St. Benedict…and I thought, it’s time. It’s short, and Dr. Percy gave it high reviews, so this is my opportunity to see what old St. Benedict has to say. Before reading it, I watched a couple of educational videos to get some context and background about its influence on Monasticism and Western culture. Researchers and historians echoed what Dr. Percy said and claimed this book had a major impact on Western society, but it was also intended to bring a better balance to monasticism in St. Benedict’s day and age. The monks and monasteries available did not fit his needs. They either had too much of this or too little of that, so he created his own way of doing things, producing…. The Rule of St. Benedict. 
One of the things I appreciate about St. Benedict, even though I would not like to live in one of his monasteries, was his resolve and ability to create something when the current 6th-century options were not working for him. He founded a system of living that balanced work and prayer for monks in his day, which caught major traction and even influenced how other “secular” systems were run in the West. (It also created push-back to the extent that some other monks attempted to poison him one night). This takes Edwin Friedman’s ideas around sabotaging a differentiated leader to another level. [i]
Benedict took influences from other leaders and monasteries and created something that worked for him. As Austin Kleon says, St. Benedict “stole like an artist,” and it worked. It also reminded me of one of Kim Sanford’s favorite quotes from Kleon’s book, “The manifesto is this: Draw the art you want to see, start the business you want to run, play the music you want to hear, write the books you want to read, build the products you want to use-do the work you want to see done.”[ii] Austin could have also said, “create the monastery where you want to live.” This is empowering and reinforces the need for each generation to create something that strikes a balance between the available extremes of that time, denomination, or area.
I say “each generation” because St. Benedict’s idea of moderation in a 6th-century monastery might be considered extreme for many in the 21st century. Let’s look at some of his rules:
“Do not say foolish things or things that are intended to cause laughter. Do not take pleasure in excessive or unrestrained laughter.” [iii]
“Monks should be silent at all times but especially at night.”[iv]
The seventh step towards humility is for him not only to claim that he is beneath everyone else and worse than them, but also to be convinced of this deep in his heart, humbling himself and saying with the prophet, “I am a worm and not a man, hated by others and a laughing-stock to the people”.[v]
…in the oratory, in the monastery, in the garden, on the road, in the fields, or anywhere else, whether sitting, walking or standing, he should always have his head bent, his eyes fixed on the ground, regarding himself at all times as guilty of his sins and imagining that he is already appearing before the dread judgment.[vi] (26)
“If a brother has been frequently reprimanded for some fault but has not amended his ways even after being excommunicated, then he should undergo more severe punishments, in other words, he should be punished with beatings.”[vii]
I’ve stayed at a Benedictine monastery. The Abby of Gethsemane (Thomas Merton’s home) is a little over an hour away from my house. Granted, they still have a lot of rules, like silence and not eating meat, and take vows of poverty and chastity. However, I usually see monks laughing; they even tell jokes in places where conversation is permitted and are not permanently staring at the ground. I also have not seen or heard monks getting beaten for misconduct.
I say all that to acknowledge and appreciate that ancient books, laws, and rules serve roles in their generation and context. However, it’s unwise to fully tie ourselves to their thinking, approach, and behavior, just as it is equally foolish to dismiss or disregard what past traditions and ideas might offer us because some of them are extreme or even foreign to us today.
Things that challenge and speak to me from The Rule of St. Benedict: (paraphrased)
-Let your actions line up with your words. (13)
-Different people need different management styles and approaches. Learn how they work and adapt to them. (14-15)
-Put as much weight on prayer as you do work and manual labor. (36)
-Live knowing that you will give God an account of your life one day. (23)
-Bring everyone in when decisions are to be made, “…the Lord often reveals the better course to a younger person.” [viii] (Keep listening to those Gen Z’s Tim!)
-Follow the values of Christ over the world.
-Half a bottle of wine a day is enough for each person. (63)
-Stay humble (22)
-Don’t talk so much, listen (21)
-Regularly read Sacred texts, but handle them with care. Certain ages and development stages are not ready for certain Scriptures (65)
-Communities need systems, structures, and discipline.
-Discipline is hard at first, but it gets easier.
-Balance your life with spirituality and administration. Both are essential.
Create the monastery where you would live and create the ______ that you would _______.
[i] Friedman, Edwin H., Margaret M. Treadwell, and Edward W. Beal. A Failure of Nerve: Leadership in the Age of the Quick Fix. 10th anniversary revised edition. New York: Church Publishing, 2017.
[ii] Kleon, Austin. Steal like an Artist: 10 Things Nobody Told You about Being Creative. New York: Workman Pub. Co, 2012.
[iii] Benedict, and Carolinne White. The Rule of Benedict. London: Penguin, 2008, 18.
[iv] Ibid., 65.
[v] Ibid., 25.
[vi] Ibid., 26.
[vii] Ibid.,49.
[viii] Ibid.,16.
About the Author
Adam Harris
I am currently the Associate Pastor at a church called Godwhy in Hendersonville, TN near Nashville. We love questions and love people even more. Our faith community embraces God and education wholeheartedly. I graduated from Oral Roberts University for undergrad and Vanderbilt for my masters. I teach historical critical Biblical studies at my church to help our community through their questions and ultimately deepen their faith. I love research, writing, learning, and teaching. I oversee our staff and leadership development. Before being at Godwhy I worked as a regional sales coach and director for Anytime Fitness. I've been married for over 13 years to my best friend and we have two amazing boys that keep us busy.10 responses to “Create the Monastery Where You Would Live”
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I enjoyed your post, Adam, and even broke the laughing rule as I was reading it! I really liked your observation that these ancient texts can be helpful because while seeming extreme, they shine a light on the intentions of the leaders at the time. It sounds as if Benedict was trying to safeguard the Monastic practices from dangers without and within the organization. This is relevant for us today as leaders. Thanks for the informative (and entertaining) post!
You broke the rule!?! Ha, Thanks for your response. Glad you enjoyed it! Some of these text can be a shock to the system, but I can appreciate how and why they did some of what they did at the time it was written. Like you mentioned, much of it is still applicable for leaders today. See you in DC next week!
Great post, Adam, and thanks for the shout out. I really do love that quote!
Your reflections make me wonder what future generations, centuries down the road, will say about us. What practices or attitudes that we currently value will they view as backward and outdated? I mean, already my kids refer to “before the Internet” as “the dinosaur times” when mom and dad were kids. I can’t even imagine how future humanity will view us in the rearview mirror.
Thanks Kim! I think about that all the time while reading history. What will later generations say about ours? I think eating meat, certain sports, and spanking kids will eventually be seen as outdated or even primitive if the trends continue. Who knows! Thanks for the response!
“A half a bottle of wine daily is enough for each person!” How dare he:). Your desire to learn and dig further into thoughts and ask questions is something I deeply admire about you, and I’m grateful for our friendship. I really hope you consider a Ph.D from Oxford! Too soon?
I just wanted to let you know that you opened an invitation at the end that I’d like to try to answer for myself in the context of my Project.
“Create the monastery where you would live and create the courage to talk about death that would help me have the death I would want.” The more we contemplate our own death, the more fervor, courage, and discernment we have on living this one life we have! Thank you for a thought-provoking post!
I know right, who is he to tell me how much wine to have! He didn’t have kids, his tune might change then. lol
Glad you enjoyed the post and yeah if I breathed a word of going back to school right anytime soon my wife might threaten my life.
Love that you filled in the blanks with what you would like to see happen in your life. I was hoping that would happen. If anyone can do that you can! Love the new chapter you are in and glad you are able to take all your learning and experience and empower the next generation.
Adam, I really enjoyed reading your post and what you gleaned from St. Benedict’s Rule of Life. I appreciate your invitation, Create the monastery where you would live and create the ______ that you would _______. I will be thinking about that in terms of my project. I’m also thinking of the monastery of my heart. What do I want to create there that blesses God and others? I’ve spent time at two Benedictine monasteries/priories. What I notice most is their generous welcome and hospitality. Thanks for a great post!
I was hoping people would fill in the blanks with the thing God has put in their hearts to do. Love the idea of creating an inner monastery in our hearts. I love staying at monasteries, so peaceful and refreshing. It truly does have a different energy when you get on the grounds. Thanks for responding!
Man!~ Adam, I sure love how you process life and the readings. My heart was racing as I read your post because I kept saying, “Give me more. Keep it coming!” But of course I couldn’t stop thinking about, “Create the monastery where you would live and create the ______ that you would _______.” My brother, that is powerful because as you know deep within us we desire to create something that will make a huge difference in this world. Thank you, Adam, for helping all of us to stay on track with your questions.
Thanks so much Todd, glad it spoke to you and yes, that was the heart with the fill in the blank. I know every one of us has “that thing” that will leave our mark on others and the generation we are a part of. Many times its the thing that has brought us the most frustration or the thing that causes us to say, “someone should do something about this!” Here’s your sign! Always enjoy and appreciate your responses!