A Reading List from Robert Bensons Living Prayer
Discover Robert Benson's curated Living Prayer reading list—a spiritual journey through Thomas Merton, Kathleen Norris, and Rilke. Explore transformative books on faith, contemplation, and the soul's quiet voice. Perfect for seekers of prayer, simplicity, and deeper meaning.
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The Sacred Journey
by Frederick Buechner
The renowned Godric (nominated for the Pulitzer Prize) shares his personal and professional journey in a literary, wise and moving memoir. "Fascinating . . . striking . . . a beautifully successful experiment".-- The New York Times Book Review.
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Teaching a Stone to Talk
by Annie Dillard
Here, in this compelling assembly of writings, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Dillard explores the world of natural facts and human meanings.
Book
Freedom of Simplicity
by Richard J. Foster
A revised and updated edition of the manifesto that shows how simplicity is not merely having less stress and more leisure but an essential spiritual discipline for the health of our soul.
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The Prophet
by Kahlil Gibran
One of the most beloved classics of our time—a collection of poetic essays that are philosophical, spiritual, and, above all, inspirational. Published in 1923, Gibran's masterpiece has been translated into more than twenty languages. Gibran’s musings are divided into twenty-eight chapters covering such sprawling topics as love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, housing, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death. Each essay reveals deep insights into the impulses of the human heart and mind. The Chicago Post said of The Prophet: “Cadenced and vibrant with feeling, the words of Kahlil Gibran bring to one’s ears the majestic rhythm of Ecclesiastes . . . If there is a man or woman who can read this book without a quiet acceptance of a great man’s philosophy and a singing in the heart as of music born within, that man or woman is indeed dead to life and truth.” With twelve full-page drawings by Gibran, this beautiful work makes an incredible gift for anyone seeking enlightenment and inspiration.
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New Seeds of Contemplation
by Thomas Merton
On spiritual rebirth through encounter with God in an expanded version, by the author of Seven Storey Mountain.
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The Seven Storey Mountain
by Thomas Merton
A celebration of Merton's spiritual autobiography is accompanied by an introduction from the editor and a note from Merton's biographer.
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The Cloister Walk
by Kathleen Norris
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AND NEW YORK TIMES NOTABLE BOOK OF THE YEAR “Vivid, compelling... An embrace of moral and spiritual contemplation.” –The New York Times “A remarkable piece of writing. If read with humility and attention, Kathleen Norris's book becomes lectio divina, or holy reading.” –The Boston Globe From the iconic author of Amazing Grace: A Vocabulary of Faith, a spiritual journey that brings joy to the meanings of love, grace and faith. Why would a married woman with a thoroughly Protestant background and often more doubt than faith be drawn to the ancient practice of monasticism, to a community of celibate men whose days are centered on a rigid schedule of prayer, work, and scripture? This is the question that poet Kathleen Norris asks us as, somewhat to her own surprise, she found herself on two extended residencies at St. John's Abbey in Minnesota. Part record of her time among the Benedictines, part meditation on various aspects of monastic life, The Cloister Walk demonstrates, from the rare perspective of someone who is both an insider and outsider, how immersion in the cloistered world-- its liturgy, its ritual, its sense of community-- can impart meaning to everyday events and deepen our secular lives. In this stirring and lyrical work, the monastery, often considered archaic or otherworldly, becomes immediate, accessible, and relevant to us, no matter what our faith may be.
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Letters to a Young Poet
by Rainer Maria Rilke
Letters written to F.X. Kappus during the years 1903-1908.
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The World's Religions
by Huston Smith
Introduction to the world's religions that has been completely revised and updated.
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Working
by Studs Terkel
Men and women representing a variety of occupations, describe the daily routine of their jobs and express their grievances, aims, and dreams
