Ora et Labora: The Benedictine Work Ethic

Sometime in the later years of his life, Benedict produced his Rule for monks. Monasticism had been flourishing since the later third century, and Benedict was in many ways the heir to this tradition. He was influenced by the Desert Fathers of Egypt, the Greek Basil the Great, and the Latin John Cassian, among others, and he also drew from a long text called the Rule of the Master. But Benedict’s Rule is very much his own work of genius, distilling and combining Eastern Christian wisdom and a Roman talent for structure and organization. Compared to earlier monastic writings, it stresses balance and moderation in matters of asceticism. And while he acknowledges that one could eventually become a hermit, this is only the case if one proves himself for many years living communally under the authority of a spiritual father known as an abbot. During the 1500 years of its existence, his Rule has become the leading guide in Western Christianity for men and women living in Benedictine communities, including many offshoots, such as the Cistercians and Trappists. Why has it proven to be so successful and influential?