An informative and engaging book about monasticism, its history, practice, and relevance to contemporary life, combining personal insights with sound scholarship. The first part of the book focuses on the early days of Christian monasticism and the transmission of this tradition to western Europe, concentrating on particular themes or figures of interest and seeking to draw parallels with the present-day. The second section explores the central features of monastic life, such as silence and humility, drawing on personal experience as well as foundational literature. Part three explores the con