Hermits
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NEW!
A HERMIT'S COOKBOOK
Monks, Food & Fasting in the Middle Ages
The Egyptian hermit Onuphrios was said to have lived entirely on dates, and perhaps the most famous of all hermits, John the Baptist, on locusts and wild honey. Was it really possible to sustain life on so little food? The history of monasticism is defined by the fierce and passionate abandonment of the ordinary comforts of life -- most strikingly, food and drink.
A Hermit's Cookbook opens with stories and pen-portraits of the Desert Fathers of early Christianity and their followers who were ascetic solitaries, hermits and pillar-dwellers. It proceeds to explore how the ideals of the desert fathers were revived in both the Byzantine and western traditions, looking at the cultivation of food in monasteries, eating and cooking, and why hunting animals was rejected by any self-respecting hermit.
Full of rich anecdotes, and including recipes for basic monk's stew and bread soup - and many others - this is a fascinating story of hermits, monks, food and fasting in the Middle Ages. Hardcover, 209 pages.
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RULE FOR SOLITARIES
By Grimlaicus
The monk Grimlaicus (ca. 900) wrote a rule for those who, like himself, pursued the solitary life within a monastic community. Never leaving their cell yet participating in the liturgical life of the monastery through a window into the church, these "enclosed" sought to serve God alone.
Beyond the details of horarium, reception of newcomers, diet, and clothing, Grimlaicus details practical measures for maintaining spiritual, psychological, and physical health, and for giving counsel to others. Scripture, the Rule of St. Benedict, and the teachings of early ecclesial and monastic writers form the kernel of Grimlaicus's wise and balanced rule, presented here for the first time in English translation. 181 pages, paperback.
Andrew Thornton is a monk of Saint Anselm Abbey and associate professor in the department of Modern Languages at Saint Anselm College, where he teaches German language and Chinese philosophy. He is also organist in the abbey church.
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IN SEARCH OF JULIAN OF NORWICH
This is a spiritual detective story. Who was Julian? Why has she become so famous? Why did her writings disappear for centuries? Why is everyone reading them today? This fascinating illustrated exploration of Julian's world -- her city, her century, and her remarkable book (the first written by a woman in English!) -- uncovers clues to the exciting mystery that is Julian. Paperback, 92 pages.
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CONSIDER THE RAVENS
On Contemporary Hermit Life
Insights, information and reflections gathered from hermits themselves – as shared through RAVEN'S BREAD, an international newsletter for hermits. This comprehensive work strives to answer all basic questions, and serves as a handbook for individuals seriously interested in living the hermit life. Lively prose interspersed with quotations from the desert fathers and mothers, as well as from modern-day hermits, addresses all aspects of the vocation – spiritual, practical and juridical. Paperback, 254 pages.
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THE HERMITAGE WITHIN
Spirituality of the Desert by a Monk
A new edition of a treasured contemplative classic. The author takes readers on a journey based on biblical themes and urges them to seek a personal inner hermitage in which to seek and to reach God. "Not everyone, obviously, can and should live as a monk or hermit. But no Christian can do without an inner hermitage in which to meet his God." Paperback, 152 pages.
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REVELATIONS OF DIVINE LOVE
(5-CD Audio Book Set)
Some consider these 16 Revelations to be the height of European mysticism. Julian (ca. 1342-1416), a Benedictine nun in Norwich, England, spent 20 years meditating on her visions before writing about them. Although she lived in a time of turmoil, her theology is optimistic, speaking of God in terms of universal love and of human suffering not as divine punishment. Translated in 1901 by Grace Warren, a Dean and Professor of English and read beautifully by Pam Ward, this audiobook is both scholarly and accessible. 37 separate track, so listeners can easily stop and repeat sections. Approx. 6 hours.
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