Brother David Steindl-Rast OCSB most recent book is titled: I am through you so I (pub, Sept. 2017)
“Brother David Steindl-Rast OCSB, Hermit, Zen Christian, spiritual globetrotter: in time for his 90th birthday in July of 2016, "Brother David" tells his incomparably rich life story. Beginning with his childhood in Vienna, he describes his time in World War II and his years as a student after the war, his family's emigration to the US and his entry into the then newly founded Benedictine monastery in the state of New York. There, he soon began looking for what were then still untrodden spiritual paths with undiscovered entryways to non-Christian religions. He became particularly involved in the dialogue between Christianity and Buddhism, founding the "Center for Spiritual Studies" in 1968, together with Rabbis, Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims. His work encouraging dialogue among religions earned him the 1975 Martin Buber Award.
Contemplation and periods of public life alternate with Brother David: he spends half the year living as a recluse in the hermitage near his Benedictine monastery. Mysticism is his mission-but not a mysticism devoid of connection to the world. His is a mysticism of the everyday, of life immediate in the now, of experiencing fully. He is convinced that God's spirit speaks in and to us all.”
Coming in at 232 pages, each chapter covers a decade of Br. David's life and should be regarded as memoir. He reflectively writes each. Each chapter also includes a dialogue, an interview / conversation between Brother David and interviewer Johannes Kaup. These are an attempt to explore Brother David’s life and thinking as well as opening up new horizons and questions that build on his reminiscences. I’m looking forward to reading my copy. Steindl-Rast has been important to me, particularly with respect to the importance of gratitude.
Lyndall Brown offers a brief review of the book in Tui Motu Interislands, New Zealand’s monthly independent Catholic magazine. You can read it online here.
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