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Secondary sourceBook1921

The Rule of St. Benedict: A Commentary

Paul Delatte · 1921

A 1921 scholarly commentary explaining the Rule written by Saint Benedict for monastic life.

This commentary explains the Rule that Benedict wrote, showing its lasting influence on monastic practice.

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About this source

What it is

This is a commentary on the Rule of St. Benedict written by Dom Paul Delatte, Abbot of Solesmes and head of the Congregation of the Benedictines of France, published in 1921 and translated by Dom Justin McCann.

The book goes through Benedict's Rule, the set of guidelines he wrote for monks, explaining its meaning and purpose section by section.

Why it matters

The Rule of St. Benedict became the foundation for monastic life across Western Europe. This commentary, written by the leader of a major Benedictine congregation centuries later, shows how Benedict's original instructions continued to be studied and applied by monks long after his death.

Look closer

  • Why would the head of a Benedictine order write a detailed commentary on a rule written over a thousand years earlier?
  • What does the survival and continued study of the Rule suggest about its influence?
  • How might a commentary differ from reading Benedict's original words directly?

This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Saint Benedict on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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