The Monastic Hours of Prayer

By: Benedicta Ward

Narrated by: Virtual Voice

FAIRACRES PUBLICATIONS 178

The heart of monastic prayer is based in the psalms. In these essays, Sister Benedicta Ward examines the origin and development of the use of the Psalter in the daily worship of monks. She demonstrates that the traditional description of this activity as Opus Dei should be understood as God’s work in us, not our ‘work’ of prayer. The Psalter offers both monk and non-monk prayers of great intimacy and, in the context of the Offices, a way to reorder our understanding of time. She presents ‘an example of the possibility of a unity of life and prayer here and now in time’. This study makes a noteworthy contribution to the literature on monastic history and spirituality and the Christian life of prayer. SISTER BENEDICTA WARD SLG is a member of the Anglican religious community of the Sisters of the Love of God, and has written and translated a number of books on early monasticism and aspects of the Middle Ages. She is Emeritus Reader in the History of Christian Spirituality at the University of Oxford and is a supernumerary Fellow of Harris Manchester College and fellow of St Stephen’s House.