Overview

Although the literary form is poetry, this is a book about the spiritual life. Think of it as an armchair visit to a monastery. Focused around monastic themes, it speaks to the spiritual seeker and curious bystander alike by presenting a range of spiritual experiences in accessible language. The poems are grouped according to a monastic logic. A section on visits to monasteries is followed by poems on questions of vocation or spiritual calling that such visits often raise. Then the reader will follow the horarium, or monastic day, and encounter some fruit of lectio divina, the practice of prayerful reading of scripture. The poems on interior prayer will speak to contemplatives in any religious tradition. The collection closes by exploring the experience of anchorites and solitaries.

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9781612615615

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Reviews

Publishers of contemporary poetry are not eager to print collections with explicitly spiritual or religious themes. These 'verses' by Bonnie Thurston which 'bear witness to Benedictine life' are therefore welcome. The poems are interestingly grouped, each section being prefaced by a quotation from the Rule of St Benedict. The writer states, with honesty, that 'Although its literary form is poetry, this is a book about the spiritual life.' Reminiscent perhaps of Joyce Rupp, and lacking the depth and poetic craft of a poet such as Mary Oliver, these verses are one woman's reflections on her exploration of monastic spirituality. Through her poems the writer offers a way of listening to the Spirit which some will appreciate. I especially liked the final piece in the book - 'Little Rule for a Minor Hermitage' - which supports and enables a monastic way of living in 'ordinary' life, and I am grateful to Bonnie Thurston for that. --Maggie Jackson, Spiritual Director, Retreat Guide at Community of the Resurrection, and Poet

Author Information

Formerly a professor of New Testament, Bonnie Thurston is a poet and spiritual director who lives quietly in her home state of West Virginia. She also writes theological works and travels to lecture and give retreats.  

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