Understanding the Rule of St. Benedict

The Rule of St. Benedict served for centuries as an invaluable tool for abbots in managing both the everyday affairs of the monastery, as well as for anyone pursuing the more overarching purpose of progressing along the path towards salvation. Its lessons and doctrines laid the foundations for a successful monastic society that followed biblical teachings closely; it is consistent, explicit, and specific in its edicts, while still allowing the abbot freedom to act as he saw fit under the varying circumstances he might have faced. In short, it was the trusty old playbook of monastic coaching, serving as "a little rule for beginners" (11).

However, as with all written works, The Rule of St. Benedict was not produced in an intellectual vacuum. Benedict lived in a time of great change and transition; as Rome continued to disintegrate, the civilized Western world was in disarray. As a result, many cultures, religions, and theologies existed simultaneously, some of which were not to persist appreciably for more than another two centuries. The last vestiges of Roman civilization were struggling for survival; Paganism continued to be highly practiced in Rome, while Christianity flourished throughout Europe. Considering this heterogeneous blend of influences on St. Benedict at the time of the Rule's conception, it is impossible to attribute its entirety to Benedict's considerable faith and intellect.

Living during the twilight of Roman civilization and the dawning of the Dark Ages in Europe, St. Benedict was arguably influenced most substantially by both the Hebrew and the fading Athenian traditions. This is not to say that Benedict's writings were all merely a throwback to a more ancient era, but there is clearly evidence of a number of similarities.

The Rule of St. Benedict holds a number of notable similarities to Hebrew tradition. Most prevalent and obvious among these are a firm concept of obedience, including that of the ten commandments. Throughout the Rule, Benedict stresses compliance with authority, a central concept in the Hebrew tradition. When one references the "Hebrew God," they are speaking of the Old Testament God by definition. The Hebrew God was considered to be one of great severity; one obeyed his commandments swiftly and without question, or they were brought under His wrath, usually in proportion to the gravity of their misdeeds. Just as the Hebrew God "punished Israel for her sins" (Zechariah 2-4), so too will the abbot not shy from punishing the monks should they stray. In the Rule, Benedict stresses the idea of proportionate punishments. Just as the Hebrew God was "long-suffering," (Exodus 34:6) or slow to anger, Benedict encourages the abbot to slowly and proportionately increase the severity of punishment for a wayward brother, until he should finally "let him feel the strokes of the rod" (53).

This is one of several ways in which the Hebrew tradition of guiding followers, much like a flock of sheep, is manifested in The Rule of St. Benedict. Aside from proportionate punishment, the Rule stresses the concept of guidance, of leading brothers who have strayed from its teachings back onto the narrow path. Benedict states that an abbot "is to imitate the loving example of the Good Shepherd, who left the ninety-nine sheep in the mountains, and went in search of the one sheep that had strayed (52). In the time of the ancient Hebrews, sheep and other livestock were a cornerstone of civilized life, and shepherding was a common and decent profession. David himself, who went on to be King of Israel, had been a shepherd. In The Rule of St. Benedict, as in the Old Testament, there are manifold allusions to shepherding, likening the keeping of sheep to the guidance of God's followers. Also, the sheep that the "Good Shepherd," went in search of was weak, so that "he mercifully placed it on his sacred shoulders, and carried it back to the flock" (52). The concept of compassion for the weak is present to a substantial degree in the Hebrew tradition; the ancient Hebrew concept of justice is simple: to "guard the rights of the widow, secure justice for the orphan, clothe the naked" (Esdras 2.20-22). This ideal of aiding the weak is present in The Rule of St. Benedict yet again when he urges the abbot to run the monastery so that "the strong have something to yearn for, and the weak have nothing to run from" (64.19).

Benedict draws heavily from Athenian tradition as well. Like the ancient Hebrew concept of justice, the Dionysian idea of justice manifests itself in the Rule. Over its course, Benedict urges the abbot to balance his punishments and rewards proportionately with their cause or offense. This kind of focus on balance is suggestive of the Dionysian concept of justice, in which all actions cause a proportionate reaction, as in the case of Pentheus in Euripides', The Bacchae; Pentheus is dismembered by his own mother for his sins against Dionysus. While encouraging nothing so severe as a physical dismemberment, Benedict does state that, at times, the only solution is a spiritual dismemberment, or the complete excommunication of a monk from the monastery: "then finally, the abbot must use the knife and amputate" (28.6)

Benedict draws on ancient Athenian tradition again, perhaps unconsciously, due to his loathing for paganism, in the similarity of his Rule to the ideals of the Apollonian impulse. Apollo was viewed as a God of reason and intellect, as well as control of one's appetitive urges, focusing instead on law, order, reason, and rationality. Benedict's Rule is fraught with influences from this concept; over its course, Benedict emphasizes a number of times the ideal of restraint, in speech, eating behavior, and in action. He decrees that "in the monastery no one is to follow his own heart's desire," (3.8) and quotes the bible, urging the abbot and his monks to "not gratify the promptings of the flesh" (Gal 5:16). The Apollonian influences on Benedict as he wrote his Rule are clear. Serving as the definitive guide for Benedictine monastic life since it's creation, even in modern society, The Rule of St. Benedict provides the reader not only with an understanding of how to live correctly as a monk or abbot, but also with valuable insight to answer the Deuteronomic question of how to achieve eternal life. Clearly influenced by both Athenian and Hebrew tradition, Benedict was a product of diverse traditions, a fact that is markedly reflected in his work.