Product details
Biographical note
André Louf, OCSO, (1929-2010), served as abbot of the Cistercian Abbey of Mont-des-Cats for thirty-five years until his retirement in 1997. His books in English include The Cistercian Way, Tuning in to Grace, Mercy in Weakness, Grace Can Do More, and The Way of Humility, all published by Cistercian Publications.Andre Louf's probing essay on the nature of humility revisions this fundamental Christian virtue away from the misunderstandings of both the scholastic tradition and its modern counterparts to locate humility in the ancient sources of the monastic tradition. His incisive study prefaces a collection of primary texts which range from the early desert fathers to Saint Bernard of Clairvaux. The translator has added further information about the author and his other writings as well as a bibliography for further reading.
Andre Louf served as abbot Cistercian Abbey of Mont des Cats in northern France until his retirement in 1997 and now lives as a solitary. Previous books in English include Teach Us To Pray, Tuning into Grace, Grace Can Do More: Spiritual Accompaniment, and Mercy in Weakness: Meditations on the Word.
Lawrence S. Cunningham is Professor of Theology at Notre Dame and book notes columnist for Commonweal.
Foreword vii
PART I
Introduction 3
An Ambiguous Situation 4
Humility: The Experience of a Journey 10
The Breaking of the Heart 13
A Christian Askesis 16
PART II
Some Selected Texts on Humility 27
Some New Testament Texts 27
The Monks of the Egyptian Desert 28
Aphrahat the Persian Sage 32
Basil of Caesarea 33
Evagrius of Pontus 35
Pseudo Macarius 36
John Cassian 36 Iperechios 37
Abba Isaiah 37
Barsanuphius of Gaza 38
Dorotheus of Gaza 39
Saint Benedict of Nursia 41
Saint John Climacus 45
Saint Isaac the Syrian 46
John Bar Kaldun 49
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux 49
Select Bibliography 53