Lovers of the Place: Monasticism Loose in the Church

Abbot Kline leads one into the interior life and the monastic life in a most compelling read. Excellent for those seeking 'the quiet' in everyday life.

I read this book because I thought the subtitle "Monasticism Loose in the World" meant it might be useful to me as a Cistercian lay contemplative. Kline is the abbot of the Trappist house in South Carolina, a Juilliard trained organist whose creative imagination and insightful analysis make this an excellent book. The opening chapter is an allegory/vision of the contemporary (and perhaps always) church which moved me to tears when I realized what is staining the floor - what we do with all that God offers us. When I realized that the second chapter would comment on the first, I thought "No, no, don't explain it; you'll kill it!" Actually it gently unfolds the earlier imagery in a helpful way, as if explanatory prose was interrupting the writing of his allegory so he gently banished it to another place to preserve the integrity of the original vision.The following chapters on the Steps of Humility from the Rule of St. Bernard read more like advice from a seasoned spiritual director of monks to a newcomer at the craft. Kline was the Novice Master at Gethsemani before being elected abbot at Mepkin. The advice may apply to people in the world who are trying to follow the Rule but are not transparent enough to apply easily to one's own journey. It should be exceptionally useful to monastics involved in formation of new (and old) members of such communities.In attending the Solemnity of the Cistercian Founders, Sunday, January 26th, at Mepkin Abbey, I heard Fr. Kline say in his sermon that he knows little about the Cistercian lay contemplative movement. "So why write a book for us?" I thought. Then I realized that in the vision the monastics going out into the world are those who have been formed in community, that is within monasteries, and are now going out into the world. They are not lay contemplatives who are living into the charism as fully as possible while living secular lives. An alternative for us, of course, is Paul Wilkes' _Beyond the Walls_. But I hope Kline gets around to us eventually! We could use his help.