cloister walk, The
Book Description
What draws a married Protestant woman, wrestling with doubt more than certainty, into the heart of an ancient Benedictine monastery? Kathleen Norris explores this unexpected spiritual journey as she recounts her transformative residencies among celibate monks whose lives revolve around prayer, work, and sacred scripture.
Through the rhythm of monastic life, Norris discovers how slowing down can illuminate the sacred within the ordinary. The structured world of the cloister becomes a lens through which her everyday existence on the Great Plains takes on profound new dimensions. Morning walks, evening rest, and even household chores begin to carry deeper significance when viewed through Benedictine wisdom.
As an outsider welcomed into this ancient community, Norris offers readers a rare dual perspective on monastic life. She reveals how the practice of celibacy enriched her understanding of marriage, how communal psalm reading awakened her appreciation for poetry's oral traditions, and how ritual transformed mundane tasks into meaningful acts.
Following the arc of a liturgical year, Norris weaves together monastery experiences with reflections on secular life, showing how cloistered practices can infuse ordinary moments with sacred meaning. Her lyrical prose makes this seemingly otherworldly tradition accessible and relevant, regardless of one's faith background.
This intimate exploration demonstrates how ancient spiritual practices can deepen contemporary life, offering wisdom for anyone seeking greater meaning in their daily existence.
Who Is This For?
📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~11 hours)
📄 Length: 384 pages
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore Poets, biography
- ✓ Deepen your spiritual understanding
- ✓ Explore Catholic Church
- ✓ Explore Liturgie
- ✓ Explore Catholic church, liturgy
- ✓ Explore Liturgics
- ✓ Explore Liturgy
- ✓ Explore Benedictines
