ONLINE BOOK GROUP
The Rule of St Benedict (480-547)
Eight sessions over 9 weeks (between 6 January – 3 March 2026)
Tuesday evenings, 20:00 - 21:00 GMT via Zoom
With its deep scriptural roots and gentle realism, the Rule of St Benedict has remained foundational both for monastic life and also for the spirituality of lay Christians in every age and culture for fifteen centuries.
Join Canon Emma online via Zoom to reflect and discuss this seminal Christian text which provides advice and guidance on how to live out our Christian faith in the everyday.
Together, over eight sessions, we shall read and discuss the complete text - focussing on specific chapters each week and concluding with an opportunity to formulate your own rule of life.
We will be reading the new gender-neutral translation of the text by Sister Judith Sutera, published by Canterbury Press - available to purchase online.
Please ensure that you have read the chapters ahead of the group meeting.
Each week the session will be recorded so if you miss a week you can catch up along with the ‘Questions to Ponder’.
Whether you can join us for just a few or for all of the gatherings, you are most welcome to read together this text of timeless wisdom which speaks of the sanctity of daily life lived with others.
The group is free, but any donation you may wish to make to the mission and ministry of the Cathedral will be warmly received.
Booking essential - Book your space to be sent a Zoom link. It will be the same zoom link for each week.
Each week Canon Emma will begin with a brief introduction followed by discussion and then concluding with prayer.
Week One – 6 January: Listening with the ear of the heart, Prologue and Chapters 1-3
Week Two – 13 January: Tools for Good Works, Chapters 4-7
Week Three – 20 January: The Work of God, Chapters 8-20
Week Four – 27 January: The Path of Holiness, Chapters 21-30
Week Five – 3 February: Caring for one another, Chapters 31-47
Week Six – 10 February: The Rhythm of Daily Life, Chapters 48-62
No Session - 17 February
Week Seven – 24 February: Honouring Giftings, Chapters 63-end
Week Eight – 3 March: Only the Beginning, Creating your own rule of life
Additional reading
Below is some background reading which you may find helpful:
Joan Chittister, The Rule of Benedict: Insight for the Ages (New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 1992). A wonderful spiritual reading of each chapter of the rule which gives daily reflections to shape your life and thinking in relation to Benedict’s words.
Abbot Christopher Jamison, Finding Sanctuary: Monastic steps for Everyday Life (London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006). Off shoot from the TV series The Monastery which saw five men experience the Rule of St Benedict . It goes through the central themes that run through the text. Link to series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ch0SY2pHkDg
Rowan Williams, The Way of St Benedict (London: Bloomsbury, 2020). With his usual learning and wisdom, Rowan reflects on aspects of the history of the rule and Benedictine history to consider how they might have something to say to us today.
For future suggestions of spiritual books for the group to read please email Canon Emma at [email protected]
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