Monastic Strategies

Monastic space is not about distance or topography, neither personal space nor outer space. I will drive up to New Camaldoli, the monastery and hermitage to which I am connected, next week. It will take me a few hours to arrive there, though I am already starting to settle into monastic space. New Camaldoli is a […]

I know some monks who are excellent storytellers. They tend not to tell stories like the rest of us. People with corporations and nonprofit groups do not describe them the way monks describe their monasteries. I have never heard a monk say anything like, “Hello. My name is Brother Boniface and I am a monk.”

There are people who see monastic life as being all about following rules. The thing which makes Benedictine monks Benedictine is following Benedict’s Rule. They make lifelong vows to renounce certain actions and ways of behaving. It can appear that monastic life is focused on giving things up, committing not to do things. It almost feels

It can be easy to lose track of the difference between being persistent and being stubborn. There are people I know who believe they are persistent when they are being stubborn. I have known a few monks who were stubborn, but more who are persistent. Stubbornness is about holding out against all opposition or obstacles. Being stubborn

There are people who see monastic life as escaping, as running away from real life. Some people are uncomfortable with the idea of intentionally losing touch wth immediacy and practicality. They get a little itchy thinking about even a few hours without Internet access. Some people believe monastic life is choosing not to meet our responsibilities

We live in a society where we are defined by what we own. The automobiles we drive, the computers we use, the food we eat tell us who we are. The clothes we wear tell other people about the teams, athletic and corporate, we support. Our property tells people, including ourselves, who we are. One of the

There are people who believe monks are running away, trying to escape from the real world. Some people see monks as trying to protect themselves with rules and vows, hiding from real life. Some people think monks are people who cannot handle the challenges of life as we know it. They think monks live a truncated, limited

Our understanding of recruiting tends to be based in giving people something they want. We try to entice people into our organization or company. We want to give them a package of salary and benefits to persuade them to join us. We work to reward their potential contributions to our efforts. Some people receive bonuses above and

In his Rule, Benedict sets a challenging standard for monastic hospitality. Chapter 53, on the reception of guests, specifies all guests are to be welcomed as Christ. We tend to think of hospitality as making ourselves look good. When we invite people to stay with us, we hope they feel impressively welcomed. We hope our homes will seem even

We hear a lot these days about being good listeners. Listening is often identified as an essential leadership skill. It is true that listening is more than merely preparing to say something more. Listening well demands we pay attention to different levels of meaning. Some people listen to the words we speak, some listen to a