The Way of Simplicity - (Monastic Wisdom) by Esther De Waal (Paperback)

About the Book

In The Way of Simplicity Esther de Waal reveals the riches of the Cistercian (Trappist) tradition and its relevance for todays world. The book draws not only on such twelfth-century writers as Bernard of Clairvaux and Aelred of Rievaulx, but also on Thomas Merton and many contemporary Cistercians. These Cistercian men and women wrote on matters of perennial concern: the true self, growth, integration, friendship, the love of God, and above all the live of prayer. Anyone wishing to explore Cistercian spirituality will find this book an illuminating and practical guide.

Book Synopsis

In The Way of Simplicity Esther de Waal reveals the riches of the Cistercian (Trappist) tradition and its relevance for today's world.

The book draws not only on such twelfth-century writers as Bernard of Clairvaux and Aelred of Rievaulx, but also on Thomas Merton and many contemporary Cistercians.

These Cistercian men and women wrote on matters of perennial concern: the true self, growth, integration, friendship, the love of God, and above all the life of prayer.

Anyone wishing to explore Cistercian spirituality will find this book an illuminating and practical guide.

Review Quotes

Esther de Waal has gifted us with new and fresh insights into Benedictine spirituality from the Cistercian perspective. She gently and prayerfully explores the Cistercian charism by weaving the strands of her study and reading of the twelfth-century Cistercian mystics with her prayerful reflection on Benedictine values. The American Benedictine Review

This is an engaging amalgam of architecture, history, biography, and monastic theology, capped with a charming anthology from Cistercian authors, ancient and modern.Irish Theological Quarterly