Halfway to Heaven: The Hidden Life of the Sublime Carthusians

You may have read Nancy Klein Maguire's recent book on five novices who entered the Carthusians at St Hugh's in England in the early 1960s, "An Infinity of Little Hours," and wanted to know more about the background of the Order. Lockhart's book is short enough to read in an evening, and while it is by no means as in-depth as I would have wished, it does convey, through the personal p-o-v of a convert, the impact of the Order. Lockhart, while familiar with St Hugh's near his home, also travelled to other male and female-staffed monasteries of the Order; unfortunately, his itinerary is often reduced in print to "X Charterhouse in Y location was beautiful, the monks/nuns were friendly, it is situated in the mountains around Z." Many of the Charterhouses receive only cursory mention, except for La Grande Chartreuse and the Vermont foundation of the Transfiguration. He does not convey for me enough of the texture and the feel of the monks/nuns, although this may be impossible for any lay observer. You should watch the German documentary by Philip Groning, "Die Gross Stille {Into Great Silence} for an unforgettable portrait of silent life experienced in time at La Grande Chartreuse; also see the Order's website and its link to Parkminster's handsome net presence. These give visuals and context that deepen and expand much more what Lockhart describes in print. I did like the framework of this short book: he sets the mystical and eremetic traditions within the Church Fathers and early monasticism in part 1. Part 2 takes you through a whirlwind account of St Bruno, the Order's history--too skimpy, however--and the schedule of Fathers and Brothers and how candidates are vetted--again, too quick a consideration, especially in how the community accepts/rejects the monk in simple vows after a probation period--I wondered about those sent away and why this was. Part 3 proves practical; many readers will wonder, as I did, "fascinating, but since I will never live in a Charterhouse, let alone probably be allowed inside one, what can the Carthusians teach me out here in the secular world?" A couple of short chapters on "Contemplation for All" and a compendium of snippets for meditation from those in and out of the Order round off this account. (I noticed that an updated version in 1999 was issued by Cistercian Publications, which by its pagination adds about one-fourth to the original's 150 pp.) Apparently this later printing removed the sub-titular adjective "sublime" before "Carthusians," at the Order's request--fitting their wish for humility and understatement! While this book, mixing Lockhart's own enthusiasm and reflections with a survey of the essential information about Carthusians that a casual inquirer would likely desire, still feels too "light" 15 years after I first read it, it does fulfill a need for the rest of us to find out in a handy, easily perused, and lively rendering more about this most self-effacing of Catholic communities, surviving o

This book taught me a great deal about cultivating an inner silence of peaceful surrender through the holy example of the Carthusian Monks. Their hidden life of silence must be heard by all who are living in a stressful world of superficial noise.If you want to know why a person would give up his life in total contemplation and isolation, this book is a good resource to have.If you want to understand the power of prayer in your life, this is a book of living witness."If the world is becoming worse, it's because there are more people fighting, than praying!"St. Bruno, pray for us!

This book is again in print in an updated edition available from Cistercian Publications. Lockhart affectionately provides a window into the secluded lives of the Carthusians that both illuminates and informs the reader. However, as a student of history, I was disturbed by a number of errors that marr this fine book. The following is not an exhaustive list, just errors that caught my attention. Lockhart provides erroneous dates for the life of John Climacus (c. 579-649), not 379-449 as stated on page 16. Also, Lockhart says that Climacus wrote "the ladder of paradise" when the title is best translated as "the ladder of divine ascents". Lockhart makes two references to Lao Tzu, one giving his date as about 800 BC, and the other as Lao Tzu providing this quote, "Christians have no monopoly of mysticism." Something is certainly amiss here. Lockhart says that, "it was probably Pope Innocent III who first referred to the Martha and Mary analogy..." (125). Instead, the analogy between the contemplative (Mary) and the active life (Martha) goes back many centuries before Innocent's time. John Cassian is especially praised in this book, having a chapter all his own. However, Lockhart mistakenly refers to Cassian as a saint, "Cassian - or St John Cassian as he was to become ..." (27). Cassian was never officially canonized as a saint in the catholic church. This has to do with Cassian's 13th conference and saint Augustine. Columba Stewart analyzes this issue thoroughly, and convincingly, in his wonderful book "Cassian the Monk", where he argues that Cassian needs to be approached on his own terms, not filtered through a hard line Augustinian interpretation around the issue of grace and free will and Pelagianism. Not being more informed about the Carthusians, why I read this book in the first place, I hope that the chapters dealing with Carthusian history are more diligent in factual accuracy. Still, this is a good book, and brings the Carthusians into a greater light for the rest of the world to understand and give thanks for the dignity and service that their lives bring for all of us.

As the Carthusians have traditionally kept as much out of the public eye as possible, it can be difficult to find information on such basic issues as where they are located, how they select candidates, and the particulars of their daily lives. This book, though not as detailed as one would like, provides a good introduction to the Carthusian Order and the people who join it. I hope that the publisher will consider putting it back in print, as this is one of the few books on the subject in English.