"This very interesting and important book is based on over twenty-five years of scholarly research spanning almost every aspect of cenobitic monasticism plus fifty years of lived monastic experience... This book fills a gap in monastic history that has gone largely unnoticed for years."
Eugene Hensell, OSB, Saint Meinrad Archabbey, Indiana
"For contemporary cenobitic communities, it offers strong conversation starters on the current challenges to living wisely."
Benedictines
"Kardong has the rare gift of being able to distill the results of a vast amount of complicated scholarship...in a way that is highly readable, informative, and enjoyable. His style is clear and simple; his prose is wry and witty; and his discussions are peppered with insights gleaned from over fifty years of living as a cenobitic monk himself. He has produced a gem of a book."
