Abbey Editions, the imprint of the monks of Clear Creek, has just released a new edition of the Rule of Saint Benedict in English and Latin. The Latin text is the one used by the monks of Clear Creek at the Chapter of Prime and also forms the basis for the authoritative Commentary of Dom Delatte on the Rule. The English text is the translation made by Abbot Justin McCann a century ago, modified according to American spelling.
Hardcover, 168 pages, includes index.
The great achievement of St. Benedict, through which the essentials of Western civilization were preserved amid the chaos and confusion of the Dark Ages, cannot be overestimated. And the Rule which he established for his monks has had an influence throughout European history which has extended far beyond the cloisters of his own community.
The Latin text is the “traditional text” read in Benedictine monasteries at the Chapter of Prime. Facing each page of Latin is an English translation, carefully revised and evolved over many years of experiment and trial to be at once accurate and readable. And to assist the monastic Lector, who by ancient custom must recite the Rule at Prime section by section throughout the year, the appropriate dates are given alongside the text.
