Saint Benedict's Definition Of Obedience

The Rule of Benedict was a guide for Christians that was written in the sixth century. This guide was focused for Christians who wanted to live a monastic movement and many still follow Benedict’s rule today. In his book, Saint Benedict really stresses the rule of Obedience. Now, Benedict’s definition of obedience, is different than our definition of obedience. Many people in today’s society think of obedience as doing what you are told, even if you do not agree with it. Humans want freedom and do not want people telling them what to do. Saint Benedict’s view of obedience is much different, and many humans still practice his form of obedience in their lives today. Saint Benedict believes that a person must listen to others to learn how to live. People choose to look past themselves and listen to others in order to obey God according to John 6:38, “I have come not to do my own will, but the will of the One who sent me” (Chittister 69). One aspect of this book is the degree to which Saint Benedict stresses the rule of Obedience. I do not think that the rule of Obedience is outdated because this practice is
This quote proves that obedience can be liberating, “Two ideas permeate the Rule of Benedict: love and wisdom. Love is the motive; wisdom is the goal and the Way. Two great loves, love of God and love of the other, impel us to look outside ourselves and learn from those outside of ourselves where we really are in life. When we love something besides ourselves and when we listen to someone besides ourselves we have glimmers of growth to guide us (Chittister 70)”. Once a human looks past themselves into the bigger picture of life and listens with the “ear of their heart” to those around them, they find love and wisdom and see a sense of growth, which leads to a feeling of