Topic summary
Saint Benedict
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Benedict of Nursia.
Rule of Saint Benedict
Benedict wrote the Rule for monks living communally under the authority of an abbot. The Rule comprises seventy-three short chapters. Its wisdom is twofold: spiritual (how to live a Christocentric life on earth) and administrative (how to run a monastery efficiently). More than half of the chapters describe how to be obedient and humble, and show what to do when a member of the community is not. About a quarter regulate the work of God (the "opus Dei"), and the remaining chapters outline how, and by whom, the monastery should be managed. Benedictine asceticism is known for its moderation.