Benedict Backwards

Terrence G. Kardong, OSB, (1936–2019), was a monk of Assumption Abbey, Richardton, North Dakota. He served as the editor of The American Benedictine Review, and was the author of many books and articles.

• Contents  IntroductionChapter 1: Mutual ObedienceChapter 2: Benedictine LeadershipChapter 3: Sharing AuthorityChapter 4: Choosing an AbbotChapter 5: Better Than Benedict?Chapter 6: Hate Self-Will!Chapter 7: SimplicityChapter 8: PerfectionChapter 9: BrotherhoodChapter 10: TardinessChapter 11: ShameChapter 12: SadnessChapter 13: TimetableChapter 14: Priesthood

"The subtitle of Terrence Kardong's brief collection of essays, Reading the Rule in the Twenty-First Century, does not mean that the author writes in emoji. It does mean that this thoroughly American Benedictine scholar, like a high-res audio technician, lets the clear tone of Benedict himself stand out from the many other voices that Benedict allowed to coexist in his sixth-century Rule. Kardong has distilled and presented a lifetime of rigorous scholarship in crisp prose—not lacking, though, verbal emoji winks, grimaces, and shrugs."Mark A. Scott, OCSO, Abbot of New Melleray