The Rule of Benedict is saturated throughout with biblical quotations and allusions. Like many of the theological and spiritual writings of the premodern era (and distinctly unlike many of those in the modern era), Benedict does not so much cite proof texts of Scripture in support of his assertions as he simply speaks through scripture. Most often, Benedict is found citing the Gospels, the Psalms, and the Proverbs. Much of the rationale for the Rule lay in seeking after the cultivation of central biblical virtues, chiefly humility and obedience, both of which are major themes in the Psalms and wisdom literature. In the Rule of Benedict, humble obedience is the primary virtue (RB 7) of the Christian life and the primary way of struggling against sin was through the cultivation of humility. While for Augustine, the primary struggle in the Christian life was between the love of God and the libido dominandi, for Benedict the primary challenge was the struggle between the divine call to the “labor of obedience” and the human rebellion which is the “laziness of disobedience” (RB Prologue). For Benedict, according to the Bible, obedience is the master virtue to which human beings are called before God. It is the struggle to live in obedience which characterizes the Christian life. 

The wisdom literature and the prayers of the Psalms were the central resource that Benedict drew on in seeking after these biblical virtues. Central to the entire Benedictine way of life was constant immersion in the Scriptures, especially the Psalms. According the Rule, the entire Psalter was to be chanted every week by the brothers (RB 18). Benedict viewed this is a minimal endeavor, as the early monastic fathers had sung the entire Psalter daily. At the core of Benedictine spirituality was constant immersion in, and contemplation of the Holy Scriptures.

Modern readers will be quick to balk at some of the harsh uses of certain scriptures by Benedict, especially in regard to the form of discipline undertaken in the monastery (see RB 27, 28). While of course there is good reason to question flogging in response to disobedience as a viable Christian practice in our contemporary context, it behooves us to remember the historical context in which the Rule was written. In contrast to many of the rules that were promulgated in the same time period, the Rule of Benedict was widely considered to be extremely moderate and practical in its demands and strictness. Its ascetic practices were extremely moderate by comparison to the kinds of self-flagellation practiced in a wide variety of contemporary monastic settings. Likewise, as the Rule of Benedict states rightly, the forms of discipline exercised on rebellious brothers were not considered by Benedict to be the most effective or serious measures to be called upon. In the face of the failure of excommunication to restore a wayward brother, Benedict called on the abbot and the brothers to turn to “greater things”, which are chiefly “prayers…so that the Lord may cure the sick brother, for He can do all things” (RB 28).

In sum, while Benedict does not provide a biblical defense of the idea of monasticism and monastic living, such a defense is not something that one would realistically expect him to have ever thought of providing. The monastic movement during his time was a way, and perhaps the primary way in which Christians sought to return to the vision of discipleship articulated in the Bible in a way that remained within the church but still protested against the corruption and self-exaltation of the ecclesial hierarchy. The most charitable and equitable way of reading the monastic movement and its biblical roots requires attention to this context and the realization that these communities were exclusively centered on striving after ways to be faithful to God in the midst of an unstable world and a corrupt church. As such, Benedictine spirituality has much to teach the church today, especially in view of some striking similarities between the breakdown of culture in the dark ages and the fragmentation of life in late capitalist postmodern culture. In light of this, it seems prudent for the church today to be open to considering the insights of Benedictine spirituality.

While the Rule of Benedict itself does not name its author, all historical sources identify the author as Benedict of Nursia (ca. 480–543). The main sources we have about the life of Benedict are the Dialogues of Gregory the Great, the first monk to become pope, and a great admirer of Benedict. The Rule has its roots in the previous rules that had circulated in the centuries prior (rules from Augustine, Basil, Cassian, and The Rule of the Master). Throughout this period in Europe, and in Italian monasticism in particular there was a common practice of borrowing and modifying of monastic rules by the various orders and communities of monks that would come together. The movement was largely decentralized and dynamic, having little supervision or control being exercised over it by the papal and magisterial hierarchy of the church.

What makes the Rule of Benedict unique involves its setting in its sixth century Italian context. It is likely that the Rule was written just after, or during the Justinian re-conquest of Italy against the Frankish and the Gothic invaders (in the 540’s or 550’s). During this time, there was a great amount of dislocation and upheaval, which led to the presence of a great many undisciplined wandering monks who had not been well trained, and whom Benedict viewed as a blight upon the church and the monasteries. These are the Sarabites and the gyratory monks which Benedict hates so much for their indulgence and undisciplined form of life (RB 1). In the face of massive social dislocation and transience, both in terms of regional politics and monastic dispersion, the aim of Benedict was to create a stable community focused on contemplation, the opus dei (the chanting of the Psalter), hospitality, and study. It was this vision of intentional, stable community which would define the shape of Benedictine spirituality and establish itself as a major enclave of culture and education throughout the dark ages.

The following series of posts is based on my exploration of the Rule of Saint Benedict.  Being part of a church which falls under the rubric of the “New Monasticism“, naturally an exploration of the key literature of the monastic movements is important to me.  Regardless of ecclesial location, however I think all Christians have much to learn from the monastic traditions.  Over the next four days I will be posting a four part series on the Rule of Benedict and its contemporary reception among protestants, which is a very new and ing many ways mystifying ecclesial occurance.

The Rule of Benedict, while perhaps not widely read, especially among protestants is one of the most interesting and influential books in the history of the western Christian tradition. Amongst all the monastic orders which developed throughout the middle ages, the order of Saint Benedict stood out as a distinctive presence throughout Europe which contributed greatly to the preservation of culture, literacy, the Bible, and theological scholarship. As protestants we are predisposed to view the monastic movements with suspicion, not least because of Martin Luther’s rejection of monastic vows as a viable Christian practice. This has led to an ongoing skepticism among protestants as to the legitimacy of vows. However, in spite of this historic aversion to monasticism, there is a growing interest in the history and implications of the monastic movements among protestants today. Indeed, in view of the continually expanding fragmentation of western culture in our late capitalist era, there is more than ever a perceived need for intentional, monastic-style communities to carry on the task of the preservation of culture, community, and Christian theology and practice. More shall be said about this later, however for the present purposes, the very fact of such a resurgence of interest in monasticism gives us good reason to explore the historic roots of monasticism in greater depth. And the Rule of Benedict is, perhaps one of the most central resources for such an exploration.

The series of posts will proceed as follows:

• §1: Historial Background of the Rule
• §2: Biblical Sources and Trajectories in the Rule
• §3: Distincitves and Contributions of the Beneditine Tradition
• §4: Contemporary Protestant Approriations of the Benedictine Tradition