David Steindl-Rast OSB (born July 12, 1926) is an American Catholic

Benedictine monk , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , found ...

, author, and lecturer. He is committed to

interfaith Interfaith dialogue refers to cooperative, constructive, and positive interaction between people of different religious traditions (i.e. "faiths") and/or spiritual or humanistic beliefs, at both the individual and institutional levels. It is ...

dialogue and has dealt with the interaction between

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

and science.

Life and career

Steindl-Rast was born and raised in

Vienna, Austria en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, with a traditional Catholic upbringing that instilled in him a trust in life and an experience of mystery. His family and surname derive from their aristocratic seat near the pilgrimage site of Maria Rast, today

Ruše Ruše (; german: Maria Rast) is a small town in northeastern Slovenia. It is the seat of the Municipality of Ruše and lies on the right bank of the Drava River west of Maribor. The area is part of the traditional region of Styria. It is now inc ...

Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...

. Privations he experienced in youth during the Second World War were magnified by the tensions of him being one-fourth Jewish. He was recruited into the German army but did not see combat. He received his MA degree from the

Vienna Academy of Fine Arts The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna (german: link=no, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien) is a public art school in Vienna, Austria. History The Academy of Fine Arts Vienna was founded in 1692 as a private academy modelled on the Accademia di Sa ...

and his PhD in

experimental psychology Experimental psychology refers to work done by those who apply experimental methods to psychological study and the underlying processes. Experimental psychologists employ human participants and animal subjects to study a great many topics, in ...

from the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich histor ...

(1952). He emigrated with his family to the United States in the same year and became a Benedictine monk in 1953 at

Mount Saviour Monastery Mount Saviour Monastery is a historic farm and monastery campus within a national historic district located near Pine City, Chemung County, New York. It encompasses 10 contributing buildings and 3 contributing sites on a working farm in cont ...

Pine City, New York Pine City is a hamlet located in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 5,220 at the 2000 census. There is a post office there. History Mount Saviour Monastery was added to the National Register of Historic Places ...

, a newly founded Benedictine community. With permission of his abbot, Damasus Winzen, in 1966 he was officially delegated to pursue

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

dialogue and began to study

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

with masters

Haku'un Yasutani was a Sōtō rōshi, the founder of the Sanbo Kyodan organization of Japanese Zen. Biography Ryōkō Yasutani (安谷量衡) was born in Japan in Shizuoka Prefecture. His family was very poor, and therefore he was adopted by another family ...

Soen Nakagawa was a Taiwanese-born Japanese rōshi and Zen Buddhist master in the Rinzai tradition. An enigmatic figure, Nakagawa had a major impact on Zen as it was practiced in the 20th century, both in Japan and abroad. Early life Soen Nakagawa was born a ...

, Shunryu Suzuki, and Eido Tai Shimano.Hallward, Clare; ''David Steindl-Rast: Essential Writings'', Orbis Books, Maryknoll, NY, 2010, p. 23. As a Benedictine monk, he spent time in various

monastic communities Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religious way of life in which one renounces worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic life plays an important rol ...

, including 14 years at the

New Camaldoli Hermitage New Camaldoli Hermitage (formally called Immaculate Heart Hermitage) is a rural Camaldolese Benedictine hermitage in the Santa Lucia Mountains of Big Sur, California, in the United States. The Camaldolese branch of the Benedictine family was fo ...

Big Sur, California Big Sur () is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur ha ...

. He spent half the year as a hermit in a monastery and spent the other half lecturing and giving workshops and retreats. His experience around the world and with the world's various religions convinced him that the human response of gratitude is a part of the religious worldview and is essential to all human life. He co-founded the Center for Spiritual Studies with

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

and

Sufi Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, ...

teachers in 1968, and since the 1970s has been a member of the cultural historian William Irwin Thompson's

Lindisfarne Association The Lindisfarne Association (1972–2012) was a nonprofit foundation and diverse group of intellectuals organized by cultural history, cultural historian William Irwin Thompson for the "study and realization of a new planetary culture". It was in ...

. He received the

Martin Buber Award Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

for his achievements in building dialog among religious traditions. His writings include ''Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer'', ''The Music of Silence'' (with Sharon Lebell), ''Words of Common Sense'' and ''Belonging to the Universe'' (co-authored with

Fritjof Capra Fritjof Capra (born February 1, 1939) is an Austrian-born American physicist, systems theorist and deep ecologist. In 1995, he became a founding director of the Center for Ecoliteracy in Berkeley, California. He is on the faculty of Schumacher ...

). In 2000, he co-founded A Network for Grateful Living, an organization dedicated to gratefulness as a transformative influence for individuals and society.

Religion and mysticism

During

Link TV Link TV, originally WorldLink TV, is a non-commercial American satellite television network providing what it describes as "diverse perspectives on world and national issues." It is carried nationally on DirecTV (ch. 375) and Dish Network (ch. ...

's ''Lunch With Bokara'' 2005 episode "The Monk and the Rabbi", he stated: In that same episode, he expressed his belief in

panentheism Panentheism ("all in God", from the Greek language, Greek grc, πᾶν, pân, all, label=none, grc, ἐν, en, in, label=none and grc, Θεός, Theós, God, label=none) is the belief that the Divinity, divine intersects every part of Univers ...

, where divinity interpenetrates every part of existence and timelessly extends beyond it (as distinct from

pantheism Pantheism is the belief that reality, the universe and the cosmos are identical with divinity and a supreme supernatural being or entity, pointing to the universe as being an immanent creator deity still expanding and creating, which has ex ...

Selected writings

* 1984, ''Gratefulness, the Heart of Prayer: An Approach to Life in Fullness'', N.J. Paulist Press 1984. * 1991, ''Belonging to the Universe: Explorations on the Frontiers of Science and Spirituality'', coauthored with

and Thomas Matus,

Harper San Francisco HarperOne is a publishing imprint of HarperCollins, specializing in books that aim to "transform, inspire, change lives, and influence cultural discussions." Under the original name of Harper San Francisco, the imprint was founded in 1977 by 13 em ...

, * 1995, ''Music of Silence: A Sacred Journey through the Hours of the Day'', coauthored with Sharon LeBell, Ulysses Press, 2. Ed. 2001, * 1996, ''The Ground We Share: Everyday Practice, Buddhist and Christian'', coauthored with

Robert Baker Aitken Robert Baker Dairyu Chotan Aitken Rōshi (June 19, 1917 – August 5, 2010) was a Zen teacher in the Harada-Yasutani lineage. He co-founded the Honolulu Diamond Sangha in 1959 together with his wife, Anne Hopkins Aitken. Aitken received Dharma ...

Shambhala Publications Shambhala Publications is an independent publishing company based in Boulder, Colorado. According to the company, it specializes in "books that present creative and conscious ways of transforming the individual, the society, and the planet". Man ...

, * 1999, ''A Listening Heart: The Spirituality of Sacred Sensuousness'', Crossroad, * 2002, ''Words of Common Sense for Mind, Body and Soul'',

Templeton Foundation Press The John Templeton Foundation (Templeton Foundation) is a philanthropic organization that reflects the ideas of its founder, John Templeton, who became wealthy via a career as a contrarian investor, and wanted to support progress in religious an ...

, * 2008, ''Common Sense Spirituality.'' The

Crossroad Publishing Company Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...

, * 2010, ''Deeper than Words: Living the Apostles' Creed'',

Doubleday Religion The Crown Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House that publishes across several fiction and non-fiction categories. Originally founded in 1933 as a remaindered books wholesaler called Outlet Book Company, the firm expanded int ...

, * 2010, ''David Steindl-Rast: Essential Writings'', selected with and introduction by Clare Hallward, (Modern Spiritual Masters series, edited by Robert Ellsberg),

Orbis Books Orbis Books, is an American imprint of the Maryknoll order. It has been a small but influential publisher of liberation theology works. It was founded by Nicaraguan Maryknoll priest Miguel D'Escoto with Philip J. Scharper in 1970. Its editor-in- ...

, * 2016, ''Faith beyond Belief: Spirituality for Our Times'', coauthored with

Anselm Grün Anselm Grün (in English also: Anselm Gruen), OSB (born 14 January 1945 in , Germany) is a German Benedictine monk. He is in charge of Münsterschwarzach Abbey's financial matters, as its ''cellarer''. He has written around 300 books focused on ...

Liturgical Press Saint John's Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in Collegeville Township, Minnesota, United States, affiliated with the American-Cassinese Congregation. The abbey was established following the arrival in the area of monks from Saint Vincent Arch ...

, * 2016. ''The Way of Silence: Engaging the Sacred in Daily Life'',

Franciscan Media Franciscan Media, formerly St. Anthony Messenger Press, is a multimedia company comprising ''St. Anthony Messenger'' magazine, Franciscan Media and Servant books, Catholic Greetings, Saint of the Day, Minute Meditations, and AmericanCatholic.org, ...

, * 2017, ''i am through you so i'',

Paulist Press The Paulist Fathers, officially named the Missionary Society of Saint Paul the Apostle ( la, Societas Sacerdotum Missionariorum a Sancto Paulo Apostolo), abbreviated CSP, is a Catholic society of apostolic life of Pontifical Right for men founded ...

, * 2021, ''99 Names of God'',

, In addition he has contributed to numerous works, including: * Introduction, ''Words of Gratitude for Mind, Body, and Soul'', by Robert A. Emmons and Joanna Hill * Afterword, ''Benedict's Dharma: Buddhists Reflect on the Rule of Saint Benedict'', by Norman Fischer, Joseph Goldstein and

Judith Simmer-Brown Judith Simmer-Brown is a Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies Emerita at Naropa University. She has expertise in Tibetan Buddhism, Women and Buddhism, Buddhist-Christian dialogue, Western Buddhism and Contemplative Educ ...

, edited by Yifa, and

Patrick Henry Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736June 6, 1799) was an American attorney, planter, politician and orator known for declaring to the Second Virginia Convention (1775): " Give me liberty, or give me death!" A Founding Father, he served as the first an ...

* Foreword, ''Living Buddha, Living Christ'', by

Thich Nhat Hanh Thích is a name that Vietnamese monks and nuns take as their Buddhist surname to show affinity with the Buddha. Notable Vietnamese monks with the name include: *Thích Huyền Quang (1919–2008), dissident and activist *Thích Quảng Độ (192 ...

* Foreword, ''This World'', by Teddy Macker * Chapter in ''Entheogens and the Future of Religion'' titled "Explorations into God", edited by Robert Forte

References

External links

Steindl-Rast's website

Video-interview on practice of now-ness, science-religion dialogue and Heidegger's thrownness

Interview on a public radio show, Humankind, by David Freudberg

Several articles
by Steindl-Rast and others.
Network for Grateful Living Web page
*Interview transcript and audio from
On Being with Krista Tippett
" 2016 * *
"Want to be happy? Be grateful" (TEDGlobal 2013)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steindl-Rast 1926 births Living people 20th-century American Roman Catholic theologians 21st-century American Roman Catholic theologians Academy of Fine Arts Vienna alumni American Benedictines Austria–Japan relations Austrian Benedictines Austrian emigrants to the United States Buddhist and Christian interfaith dialogue Catholic ecumenical and interfaith relations Catholics from New York (state) People from Chemung County, New York People in interfaith dialogue University of Vienna alumni Writers from Vienna

Life and career

Religion and mysticism

Selected writings

Further reading

References

External links