In Benedict Backwards, Terrence Kardong builds the case that the Rule of Benedict is best read 'backwards,' that is, with emphasis on the last chapters, not the first ones. Benedict starts out dependent on the Rule of the Master, but he ends on a much more self-assured note, revealing more about his own thoughts on matters of monastic life. Kardong shows the final chapters of the Rule are primarily about community, and they provide insight into Benedict's vision for his monks.
"Oblates who follow Kardong on his exploration through the Rule will see fresh ways to be shaped for Christ's service in their daily lives under the wisdom and guidance of Benedict. ... Benedict is a way forward for people in their daily lives to be the face of love through obedience, honor, reverence, and joy in their own communities and relationships."
The Very Reverend Mark Strobel, OblSB, Oblate, Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota
"With his characteristic humor and deep, precise scholarship, Terrence Kardong ... casts a fresh light on Benedict's Rule that forces one to confront and engage it from a new perspective. Benedict Backwards is both a delight and a challenge to read for twenty-first-century followers of St. Benedict. This is a book that will definitely make a deep impact on Benedictine life in the future."
The Reverend Jamie Parsley, OblSB, Oblate, Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota
"The chapters of Kardong's book are short and each is dedicated to the exposition of some virtue or lapse of virtue. These topics have universal and timeless significance. Benedict's rule for Christian living in a monastery is equally applicable in many ways to those seeking to live a more spiritual life in the world."
